to flip a coin
18
2.8
- phrasal verb
:
lanzar una moneda
- To decide who goes first, we can just flip a coin.
- just flip a coin
- flip a coin to decide
- Let's flip a coin
So we, we flip a coin and we lost.
- So we, we flip a coin and we lost.
- The more you you commit, the more times you flip a coin, right?
- Would you have an obligation to flip a coin?
- I helped Steve Levitt design it and run it that had people flip a coin.
- Education gets them up to the point where they're equivalent to flipping a coin.
- That person will fail and they will fail reliably because it's like flipping a coin.
- So I'm just going to pick one and spend my time in more fruitful ways, even if it means flipping a coin.
Examples
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You chose your college major by flipping a coin?
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Suppose you flip a coin 17 times and come up with 10 heads.
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So, they decided to flip a coin.
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We're gonna flip a coin.
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We can flip a coin.
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All right, let's flip a coin.
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Flip a coin if you like.
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As a simple example, say you flip a coin 5 times and get 0 heads.
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Flip a coin to decide who'll speak...
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When you flip a coin, the odds of it coming up heads or tails are 50-50.
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Synonyms
83
1.6
To toss a coin into the air to decide between two choices
65
1.3
To throw a coin into the air to decide something
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to toss a coin to decide' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'flip' (to toss/turn quickly) with 'coin' (a small metal currency). This literal verb + object composition is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can understand the MWE's meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Flip a coin comes from the simple act of throwing a small coin into the air so it will flip and land showing one of two sides. People use that clear 'by chance' result to make a fair decision, so flip a coin means 'decide something randomly'.