Thursday, April 7, 2016

A-to-Z Challenge: F

Okay, and now flip. Starting to flag here. Ooh, maybe I should have done flag…



Flip showed up in the late sixteenth century, meaning, and I’m totally serious here, to toss with the thumb or to fillip. Fillip. That’s an actual word. Apparently it means flicking your fingernail of your thumb. Wow. Okay. I just need to let that sink in there for a minute.

Anyway, it’s not really sure where it comes from before that. It could be from the word flap or the abovementioned fillip, and it’s obviously related to flip-flop in some way. Also, to be flip, like being a smartass, is actually the shortened form of flippant. So it’s not related to the other flip in anyway.

And that’s it. It doesn’t have any origins older than English, its origins aren’t certain, and the one origin that is definite (to be flip) isn’t related to the others.

Words, man. Words.

Sources
Online Etymology Dictionary
Dictionary.com
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12 comments:

  1. NicolaApril 7, 2016 at 4:37 AM

    Great F word. So that's why 'flipping the finger' (not a nice thing to do) is so called. Thanks for the info.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rhonda AlbomApril 7, 2016 at 4:57 AM

    If I understood the word correctly, I found myself instinctually filliping whilst reading this (If not, I am just flicking my thumbnail.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tasha Duncan-DrakeApril 7, 2016 at 5:11 AM

    LOL - so this one is a bit hand wavy then? You could flip a coin for it's older origins ;)
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

    ReplyDelete
  4. M.J. FifieldApril 7, 2016 at 10:21 AM

    I, too, was filliping while reading your post. It just kind of happened.

    ReplyDelete
  5. William KendallApril 7, 2016 at 11:01 AM

    I've been accused of being flippant. In this case I freely admit, yes, of course I'm a smartass.

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  6. AnonymousApril 7, 2016 at 12:52 PM

    I can totally be flippant at times. What? It's fun. ;)

    ~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownApril 7, 2016 at 2:00 PM

    I'm going to use that one.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kate LarkindaleApril 7, 2016 at 2:21 PM

    I'm often flippant. I try not to be, but sometimes it just happens...

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  9. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 7, 2016 at 4:37 PM

    So when you want to 'flip' someone off, you should use your thumb instead of your middle finger? Words, man, words. LOL
    Susan Says

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  10. Alina K. FieldApril 7, 2016 at 5:42 PM

    Interesting post. I've never heard the word fillip, or the concept of flipping a thumb!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nilanjana BoseApril 7, 2016 at 7:28 PM

    That's very interesting. How does this fillip fit in with giving something a fillip, as in an extra push? Or are they not related?
    Best,
    Nilanjana
    Madly-in-Verse

    ReplyDelete
  12. Liz A.April 7, 2016 at 10:51 PM

    I like that flip is short for flippant. Well, that one. Not the other one.

    ReplyDelete

Please validate me.

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