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Flippant
A Vocabulary Presentation
Denotation of flippant
• Extremely disrespectful, shallow,
lacking in seriousness
• Marked by extreme levity or
casualness
• Talkative
Etymology of flippant
• In 1605, an extended form of flip
• Shortened form, flip, is attested from
1847
• Flip is a contraction of fillip, which is also
held to be imitative
• Flip was first used in 1950 as a term of
excitement; flip one’s lid, meaning to go
wild
Examples from Writing
• “In the mid-1950s we both wrote for the same
weekly, where her contributions were a good deal
more serious and less flippant than mine.”
– Anthony Howard and Jason Cowley, Decline and Fall, New Statesman
• “The conversations had grown more adult over the
years--she was less flippant, at least.”
– Sylvia Brownrigg, The Metaphysical Touch
• “Our society treats smoking flippantly as a
slightly distasteful habit that can injure your
health. It is not. It is drug addiction.”
– Allen Carr, Allen Carrs Easyway To Stop Smoking
10 things that are flippant
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Snide remarks
Prudent people
Insolent actions
Superficial thoughts
Inappropriate cartoons
Disrespectful movies
Shallow songs
Discourteous cats
Insubordinate children
Impolite comments
Flippant Political Action
Works Cited
“Flippant.” www.dictionary.com. dictionary, n.d. Web. 5
December 2009. <http://dictionary.reference.com/
browse/flippant>
“Flippant.” www.etymonline.com. etymonline, n.d. Web. 5
December 2009. <http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?
term=flippant>
“Flippant.” www.wiktionary.org. wiktionary, n.d. Web. 5
December 2009. <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/flippant>
www.istanbulian.blogspot.com. Blogspot, n.d. Web. 5 December
2009. <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Z2Mlf_q3fv0/SY1L5F
6jSwI/AAAAAAAABB0/xDDBRVUxE4M/s400/148954485
s.jpg>