Verb. (colloquial).—1. To fall, or flap down suddenly. A variant of 'flap.' Fr., prendre un billet de parterre.
1742. Fielding, Joseph Andrews, bk. iv. ch. v. She had FLOPPED her hat over her eyes.
1859. Dickens, Tale of Two Cities bk. ii. ch. i. If you must go FLOPPING yourself down.
1870. Public Opinion, 12 Feb. But even if they were more numerous and greater than they are, we should hold aloof from the crowd that FLOPS in his presence with love and awe, as the dismal wife of Jerry Cruncher FLOPPED in pious misery.
1883. The Theatre, Feb., p. 93. She is able to call in tumbling to the aid of tragedy, and bring the plastic arts to the portrayal of the passions; to FLOP through four such acts as these night after night, and finish with a death-scene warranted correct, to the very last kick and quiver.
1891. Hume Nisbet, Bail Up! p. 118. He cursed under his breath each time he rose to follow, and smothered a yell of pain and horror each time he FLOPPED DOWN.
2. (pugilists').—To knock down; to Floor (q.v.).
1888. Sporting Life, 15 Dec. 'E carnt FLOP a bloke.
Adv. (colloquial).—An onomatopœia expressive of the noise of a sudden and sounding fall. Often used expletively, as SLAP (q.v.) is, and the American RIGHT (q.v.)
1726. Vanbrugh, Journey to London, Act I., Sc. 2. That down came I FLOP o' my feace all along in the channel
1860. Punch, v. 38, p. 255. 'Twixt two stools, FLOP, he let me drop, The fall it was my murther.
1881. Jas. Payn, Grape from a Thorn, ch. vi. 'She'll roll down, papa, and come FLOP.'
To FLOP OVER, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To turn heavily; hence (in America), to make a sudden change of sides, association, or allegiance.
Flop-Up, subs. (American).—A day's tramp, as opposed to a SOT-DOWN = half a day's travel.
1888. Detroit Free Press, 15 Sept. 'Stranger, did ye lope it?' (come on foot). 'Yes.' 'A mile or a sot down?' 'More'n that. About a dozen FLOP-UPS.'
Flop-up-time = Bedtime.
[Flop, too, is something of a vocable of all-work. Thus to FLOP IN = (venery) to effect intromission; TO FLOP ROUND = to loaf; to dangle; TO FLOP A JUDY = to lay out, or 'SPREAD' (q.v.), a girl; TO DO A FLOP = (colloquial) to sit, or to fall, down, and (venery) to lie down to a man; TO FLOP OUT = to leave the water noisily and awkwardly; belly-FLOPPING = belly-bumping, coition; a FLOP in the gills = a smack in the mouth.]
Florence, subs. (old)—'A wench that has been touzed and ruffled.'
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew, and (1785) Grose, s.v.
Floster, subs. (common).—A mixed drink: sherry, noyau, peach-leaves, lemon, sugar, ice, and soda-water. Cf., Flesh-and-blood.
Flouch. To fall (or go), flouch (or floush), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To come to pieces; to sag suddenly on the removal of a restraining influence: as a pair of stays.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, p. 13. Old Georgy went FLOUSH, and his backers look'd shy.
Flounce, verb. (colloquial).—To move with violence, and (generally) in anger. Said of women, for whom such motion is, or rather was, inseparable from a great flourishing of flounces.
Flounder, subs. (riverside thieves').—1. A drowned corpse. Cf., Dab, and for synonyms, see Stiff.
