flip-flop

See also: flipflop, Flipflop, Flip-Flop, and flip flop

English

A variety of colourful flip-flops (sense 1).

Alternative forms

• flip flop, flipflop

Etymology

Onomatopoeic: most probably an imitation of the sound produced when walking in them.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: flĭp'flŏp", IPA^(key): /ˈflɪpˌflɒp/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈflɪpˌflɑp/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

flip-flop (plural flip-flops)

1. (US, UK, Fiji) A sandal consisting of a rubber sole fastened to the foot by a rubber thong fitting between the toes and around the sides of the foot. [from 20th c.]
   • 2004: the necessity for yet another place at which to buy a polo shirt or a pair of flip-flops may not be apparent to the town's residents — The New Yorker, 30 August 2004, p.38
2. A change of places; an inversion or swap.
   • 1964, Scholastic Coach, volume 34, page 18:

     On the break for strong left, everything remains the same, except for the flip-flop of positions.

   1. (US) An instance of flip-flopping, of repeatedly changing one's stated opinion about a matter. [from 19th c.]
   • 2020 April 8, David Clough, “How the West Coast wiring war was won”, in Rail, page 61:

     BR's flip-flop attitude towards the two options can be observed in comments made by the BR chairman in September 1967, which were interpreted as meaning that the facts now have to be "adjusted" to prove the electrification case.

3. (computing, electronics) A bistable; an electronic switching circuit that has either two stable states (switching between them in response to a trigger) or a stable and an unstable state (switching from one to the other and back again in response to a trigger), and which is thereby capable of serving as one bit of memory. [from 20th c.]
   • 2012, George Dyson, Turing's Cathedral, Penguin, published 2013, page 72:

     Ten two-state flip-flops […] were formed into ten-stage ring counters representing each decimal digit in the ten-digit accumulators […]

4. The sound of a regular footfall.
5. A somersault. [from 19th c.]
6. (US, slang, truck driving) A return trip.
   • 1975, “Convoy”, in C.W. McCall, Chip Davis (lyrics), Black Bear Road, performed by C. W. McCall:

     We'll catch you on the flip-flop. This here's the Rubber Duck on the side. We gone, 'bye, 'bye.

Synonyms

• (footwear): go-ahead (dated); jandal (New Zealand); thong, plugger (Australia); slop (South Africa); chancla (Latin American culture); zori (Japan, Southeastern US); beach sandal (Japan)

Derived terms

• flip-flop operator

Descendants

• → Japanese: フリップフロップ (furippu-furoppu)

Translations

repeatedly changing one’s stated opinion

• Finnish: vatulointi (fi)
• Japanese: ぶれる (ja) (bureru), ふらふらさせる (furafura saseru)

bistable electronic circuit

• Finnish: kiikku (fi)
• French: bascule (fr) f
• German: Flipflop (de) n
• Gujarati: દ્વિમાનિત્ર (dvimānitra)
• Hindi: द्विमानित्र (dvimānitra)
• Icelandic: vippa f, vippurás f
• Marathi: द्विमानित्र (dvimānitra)
• Nepali: द्विमानित्र (dvimānitra)
• Polish: przerzutnik m
• Portuguese: flip-flop m
• Romanian: bistabil m or n
• Spanish: biestable m
• Swedish: vippa (sv) c

footwear — see thong

See also

• sandal

Verb

flip-flop (third-person singular simple present flip-flops, present participle flip-flopping, simple past and past participle flip-flopped)

1. To alternate back and forth between directly opposite opinions, ideas, or decisions.

   Synonyms: U-turn, vacillate

Further reading

• Flip-flop (electronics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Flip-flop (footwear) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Flip-flop (programming) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Finnish

Alternative forms

• flip flop

Etymology

From English flip-flop.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈflipˌflop/, [ˈflipˌflo̞p]
• Rhymes: -op
• Syllabification^(key): flip‧flop

Noun

flip-flop

1. (Anglicism) flip-flop (footwear)

Declension

Inflection of flip-flop (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		flip-flop	flip-flopit
genitive		flip-flopin	flip-flopien
partitive		flip-flopia	flip-flopeja
illative		flip-flopiin	flip-flopeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		flip-flop	flip-flopit
accusative	nom.	flip-flop	flip-flopit
	gen.	flip-flopin
genitive		flip-flopin	flip-flopien
partitive		flip-flopia	flip-flopeja
inessive		flip-flopissa	flip-flopeissa
elative		flip-flopista	flip-flopeista
illative		flip-flopiin	flip-flopeihin
adessive		flip-flopilla	flip-flopeilla
ablative		flip-flopilta	flip-flopeilta
allative		flip-flopille	flip-flopeille
essive		flip-flopina	flip-flopeina
translative		flip-flopiksi	flip-flopeiksi
abessive		flip-flopitta	flip-flopeitta
instructive		—	flip-flopein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of flip-flop (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative flip-flopini flip-flopini accusative nom. flip-flopini flip-flopini gen. flip-flopini genitive flip-flopini flip-flopieni partitive flip-flopiani flip-flopejani inessive flip-flopissani flip-flopeissani elative flip-flopistani flip-flopeistani illative flip-flopiini flip-flopeihini adessive flip-flopillani flip-flopeillani ablative flip-flopiltani flip-flopeiltani allative flip-flopilleni flip-flopeilleni essive flip-flopinani flip-flopeinani translative flip-flopikseni flip-flopeikseni abessive flip-flopittani flip-flopeittani instructive — — comitative — flip-flopeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative flip-flopisi flip-flopisi accusative nom. flip-flopisi flip-flopisi gen. flip-flopisi genitive flip-flopisi flip-flopiesi partitive flip-flopiasi flip-flopejasi inessive flip-flopissasi flip-flopeissasi elative flip-flopistasi flip-flopeistasi illative flip-flopiisi flip-flopeihisi adessive flip-flopillasi flip-flopeillasi ablative flip-flopiltasi flip-flopeiltasi allative flip-flopillesi flip-flopeillesi essive flip-flopinasi flip-flopeinasi translative flip-flopiksesi flip-flopeiksesi abessive flip-flopittasi flip-flopeittasi instructive — — comitative — flip-flopeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative flip-flopimme flip-flopimme accusative nom. flip-flopimme flip-flopimme gen. flip-flopimme genitive flip-flopimme flip-flopiemme partitive flip-flopiamme flip-flopejamme inessive flip-flopissamme flip-flopeissamme elative flip-flopistamme flip-flopeistamme illative flip-flopiimme flip-flopeihimme adessive flip-flopillamme flip-flopeillamme ablative flip-flopiltamme flip-flopeiltamme allative flip-flopillemme flip-flopeillemme essive flip-flopinamme flip-flopeinamme translative flip-flopiksemme flip-flopeiksemme abessive flip-flopittamme flip-flopeittamme instructive — — comitative — flip-flopeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative flip-flopinne flip-flopinne accusative nom. flip-flopinne flip-flopinne gen. flip-flopinne genitive flip-flopinne flip-flopienne partitive flip-flopianne flip-flopejanne inessive flip-flopissanne flip-flopeissanne elative flip-flopistanne flip-flopeistanne illative flip-flopiinne flip-flopeihinne adessive flip-flopillanne flip-flopeillanne ablative flip-flopiltanne flip-flopeiltanne allative flip-flopillenne flip-flopeillenne essive flip-flopinanne flip-flopeinanne translative flip-flopiksenne flip-flopeiksenne abessive flip-flopittanne flip-flopeittanne instructive — — comitative — flip-flopeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative flip-flopinsa flip-flopinsa accusative nom. flip-flopinsa flip-flopinsa gen. flip-flopinsa genitive flip-flopinsa flip-flopiensa partitive flip-flopiaan flip-flopiansa flip-flopejaan flip-flopejansa inessive flip-flopissaan flip-flopissansa flip-flopeissaan flip-flopeissansa elative flip-flopistaan flip-flopistansa flip-flopeistaan flip-flopeistansa illative flip-flopiinsa flip-flopeihinsa adessive flip-flopillaan flip-flopillansa flip-flopeillaan flip-flopeillansa ablative flip-flopiltaan flip-flopiltansa flip-flopeiltaan flip-flopeiltansa allative flip-flopilleen flip-flopillensa flip-flopeilleen flip-flopeillensa essive flip-flopinaan flip-flopinansa flip-flopeinaan flip-flopeinansa translative flip-flopikseen flip-flopiksensa flip-flopeikseen flip-flopeiksensa abessive flip-flopittaan flip-flopittansa flip-flopeittaan flip-flopeittansa instructive — — comitative — flip-flopeineen flip-flopeinensa

Synonyms

• varvassandaali
• varvastossu

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English flip-flop.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌfli.piˈflɔ.pi/, /ˌflipˈflɔp/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌfli.piˈflɔ.pi/, /ˌflipˈflɔp/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌflipˈflɔp/, /ˌfli.piˈflɔ.pi/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˌflipˈflɔp/

Noun

flip-flop m (plural flip-flops)

1. (electronics) flip-flop (electronic circuit able to switch between two states)