what the flip
- idiom
- Informal
:
¿qué demonios?
- I just saw a cat wearing a hat. What the flip is going on?
Examples
-
You spent all that money on shoes? What the flip!
-
What the flip happened to my coffee?
-
What the flip is going on here?
-
He just walked out in the middle of the meeting—what the flip?
-
What the flip is going on here?
-
You spent all that money on shoes? What the flip!
-
He just walked out in the middle of the meeting—what the flip?
Synonyms
347
8.9
An angry or surprised question showing you do not believe something
90
8.9
A short cry to show surprise, confusion, disbelief, or casual acceptance
3
9.6
To say when you are very surprised or shocked
An informal phrase people say to show surprise or disbelief
A short phrase people say to show surprise or confusion
A strong spoken reaction showing surprise and disbelief
A loud informal shout that shows surprise, shock, or strong annoyance
How Strong
- Offensive
- NSFW
347
8.9
- Informal
90
8.9
- Informal
- Informal
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The particle 'what' marks an exclamation and the construction 'what the + X' is a common expletive pattern, so a learner who knows the parts can infer this is an exclamative and likely a softened swear. However, the specific pragmatic force (a milder substitute for a stronger expletive) is idiomatic and not directly derivable from the literal sense of 'flip', so full meaning requires familiarity with the euphemistic usage.
Etymology
What the flip may come from people swapping the rude f-word for the softer word flip, keeping the same sound but not the swear. So, it is used to show 'surprise' or 'disbelief' in a milder, less rude way.