Flop Is a Failure, a Sound and a Poker Deal
To flop is to fall heavily. The word became the standard term for a commercial failure.
To flop is to fall or drop heavily and loosely; a flop is a complete failure. The word is a variant of *flap*, both imitative, and the failure sense comes from the image of something collapsing rather than standing. A theatrical flop falls flat, which is the same picture in different words. In poker the *flop* is the first three community cards dealt face up, named for the way they are flipped down onto the table together.
- To fall heavily. *He flopped into the chair.*
- A failure. *The film was a flop.*
- Poker's first three cards. *After the flop.*
- Flip-flop — a reversal, or a sandal. *A flip-flop.*
- Variant of flap. *Imitative.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | flop | Flopping. |
| Noun | flop | A flop. |
| Past | flopped | Flopped. |
| Adjective | floppy | Floppy. |
| Related | flap | To flap. |
- He flopped onto the sofa.Falling.
- The play was a flop.Failure.
- She bet after the flop.Poker.
Words for failure
- Flop — from collapsing rather than standing
- Fall flat — the same image in other words
- Bomb — American, for a spectacular failure
- Damp squib — British, a firework that fails to go off
- Turkey — American theatre slang for a doomed production
A variant of *flap*, imitative, with the sense of failure recorded from the 1890s.
Why does flop mean a failure?
From the image of something collapsing instead of standing up. The same picture gives fall flat.
What is the flop in poker?
The first three community cards dealt face up together, named for the way they are flipped down onto the table.