flipping

Everyday

1. (mild swearing, UK) a soft stand-in for a stronger swear word, to show annoyance or for emphasis: «It's flipping freezing». tree →
2. (literal) turning over quickly: «flipping pancakes», «flipping a coin». tree →
3. (informal) becoming suddenly angry or upset: «flipping out». tree →

In the lessons

A very mild, family-friendly swear word in Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand; parents and teachers sometimes say it. The literal sense is common in cooking, maths (flipping a coin for probability) and shapes (flipping = reflecting).

Examples

• It's flipping freezing out here! tree →
• Where's my flipping homework gone? tree →
• Dad was flipping pancakes in the kitchen. tree →
• We flipped a coin twenty times and got heads eleven times. tree →
• Flipping heck, that was close! tree →
• When she saw the mess, Mum started flipping out. tree →
• You're flipping brilliant at this game. tree →
• In maths, flipping a shape over a line is called a reflection. tree →

Note

Trap: as swearing it is mild and usually OK at home, but not in written work. In maths, flipping a coin gives heads or tails, each with chance one half; flipping a shape means reflecting it. Plain word in the swearing sense: very, really, annoying.