Learn English – Why do the words ducky and jake mean fine or satisfactory

Certainly flustrated “is a word”, although it does not appear to be especially well thought of. The OED reports that the verb flustrate has been used for more than 300 years; it simply means fluster.

Here’s one amusing citation:

• 1876 Mrs. Oliphant Curate in Charge (ed. 5) II. iv. 100 — The head of the college was slightly flustrated, if such a vulgar word can be used of such a sublime person.

It is, however, marked vulgar or jocular — as so too is flustration (originally sometimes spelled flusteration), which has been around nearly as long and is reported to mean:

The condition of being flustered; ‘fluster’, agitation.

I would probably avoid using flustrate and its inflected and derived forms in formal contexts unless I were trying to convey a folksy, jocular, or ironic feel, such as in reported speech. But I wouldn’t let it confusticate or bebother me, either.

The answer is available at phrases.org.uk.

This term originally referred to ships that were beached. The 'dry' implies that, not only were they out of the water, but had been for some time and could be expected to remain so. It was used in a 'Ship News' column in The [London] Times, August 1796:

"The Russian frigate Archipelago, yesterday got aground below the Nore at high water, which; when the tide had ebbed, left her nearly high and dry."