[fix up]{v. phr.} 1. To repair. •/The school is having the old gymfixed up./ 2. To arrange. •/I think I can fix it up with the company sothat John gets the transfer he desires. /3. To arrange a date that might leadto a romance or even to marriage. •/Mary is a great matchmaker; she fixed upRon and Betty at her recent party./

[fizzle out]{v.}, {informal} 1. To stop burning; die out. •/Thefuse fizzled out before exploding the firecracker./ 2. To fail after a goodstart; end in failure. •/The power mower worked fine for a while but then itfizzled out./ •/The party fizzled out when everyone went home early./

[flag down]{v.}, {informal} To stop by waving a signal flag or asif waving a signal flag. •/The signalman flagged down the freight train./•/A policeman flagged down the car with his flashlight./

[flakeball] or [flake] {n.}, {slang}, {drug culture} Adisjointed, or "flaky" person, who is forgetful and incoherent, as if under theinfluence of narcotics. •/Hermione is a regular flakeball./ Compare: SPACEDOUT.

[flame] See: ADD FUEL TO THE FLAME, GO UP IN FLAMES.

[flanker back]{n.} A football back who can play far to the outside ofhis regular place. •/The coach is still looking for a speedy boy to playflanker back./

[flare up]{v.} 1. To burn brightly for a short time especially afterhaving died down. •/The fire flared up again and then died./ 2. To becomesuddenly angry. •/The mayor flared up at the reporter’s remark./ •/Themother flared up at her children./ 3. To begin again suddenly, especially fora short time after a quiet time. •/Mr. Gray’s arthritis flared upsometimes./ •/Even after they had conquered the country, revolts sometimesflared up./

[flare-up]{n.} The reoccurrence of an infection or an armed conflict.•/He had a flare-up of his arthritis./ •/There was a bad flare-up ofhostilities in some countries./

[flash] See: IN A FLASH.

[flash card]{n.} A card with numbers or words on it that is used inteaching, a class. •/The teacher used flash cards to drill the class inaddition./

[flash in the pan]{n. phr.}, {slang} A person or thing that startsout well but does not continue. •/The new quarterback was a flash in thepan./ •/Mary got 100 on the first test in arithmetic but it was just aflash in the pan because she failed in arithmetic./

[flat] See: FALL FLAT, IN NO TIME or IN NOTHING FLAT, LEAVE FLAT.

[flat as a pancake]{adj. phr.} Very level; very flat; having nomountains or hills. •/A great part of the American Midwest is as flat as apancake./

[flat broke] See: STONE-BROKE.

[flatfoot]{n.}, {slang}, {derogatory} A policeman. •/"Whatdoes Joe do for a living? — He’s a flatfoot."/

[flat-footed]{adj.}, {informal} 1. Straightforward; forthright;direct; outright. •/The governor issued a flat-footed denial of theaccusation./ •/He came out flat-footed against the idea./ 2. Not ready;not prepared; — usually used with "catch". •/The teacher’s question caughtTim flat-footed./ •/Unexpected company at lunch time caught Mrs. Greenflat-footed./

[flat-out]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1. Without hiding anything;plainly; openly. •/The student told his teacher flat-out that he was notlistening to her./ 2. At top speed; as fast as possible. •/He saw two menrunning flat-out from the wild rhinoceros./

[flatter oneself] To be sure of your own talent or skill; highly confident.•/I flatter myself that I am a better swimmer than he is./

[flea in one’s ear]{n. phr.}, {informal} An idea or answer that isnot welcome; an annoying or surprisingly sharp reply or hint. •/I’ll put aflea in his ear if he bothers me once more./

[flea market]{n. phr.} A place where antiques, second-hand things, andcheap articles are sold, and especially one in the open air. •/The localantique dealers held a flea market and fair on the high-school athleticfield./ •/There are many outdoor flea markets in Europe./

[flesh] See: IN PERSON also IN THE FLESH, NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL alsoNEITHER FISH, FLESH, NOR FOWL, PRESS THE FLESH, THORN IN THE FLESH.

[flesh and blood]{n.} 1. A close relative (as a father, daughter,brother); close relatives. Used in the phrase "one’s own flesh and blood".•/Such an answer from her — and she’s my own flesh and blood, too!/ 2. Theappearance of being real or alive. •/The author doesn’t give his charactersany flesh and blood./ 3. The human body. •/Before child labor laws, smallchildren often worked 50 or 60 hours a week in factories. It was more thanflesh and blood could bear./

[flesh out]{v.}, {informal} 1. To add to; make fuller, bigger, orlonger. •/The author fleshed out his story by adding more about his warexperiences./ 2. also [flesh up] To become heavier, put on weight, orflesh. •/He lost weight after his illness but is beginning to flesh outagain./ See: FILL OUT.

[flesh up] See: FLESH OUT(2).

[fling oneself at] See: THROW ONESELF AT.

[fling oneself at someone’s head] See: THROW ONESELF AT SOMEONE’S HEAD.

[flip-flop(1)]{v.}, {informal} To alternate the positions of;exchange the places of; switch. •/The football coach had one play in which heflip-flopped his left halfback and fullback./

[flip-flop(2)]{n.}, {informal} A complete change; a switch fromone thing to an entirely different one. •/John wanted to be a carpenter likehis father, but when he saw the print shop he did a flip-flop and now he’slearning printing./

[flip-flop(3)]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Involving or using a changefrom one of two places, positions, or alternatives to the other. •/Themachine was controlled by a flip-flop switch./ •/The football coach hopedto surprise his opponents by using a flip-flop offense./

[flip one’s lid] also [flip one’s wig] {slang} 1. To lose one’stemper. •/When that pushy salesman came back Mom really flipped her lid./Compare: BLOW A FUSE. 2. To lose your mind; become insane. •/When he offeredme three times the pay I was getting, I thought he had flipped his lid./ 3.To become unreasonably enthusiastic. •/She flipped her lid over a hat she sawin the store window./ •/He’s flipped his lid over that new actress./

[flip out]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To go insane, to goout of one’s mind. •/A is impossible to talk to Joe today — he must haveflipped out./

[flock] See: BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER.

[floor] See: GROUND FLOOR, MOP THE FLOOR WITH, WALK THE FLOOR.

[floor one]{v. phr.} To overwhelm; astound; nonplus. •/John’s suddenannouncement that he would retire floored all of us in the office./

[floorwalker]{n.} A section manager in a department store. •/Toexchange this pair of shoes, you must first get the floorwalker’s approval./

[flop] See: FLIP-FLOP.

[flower child]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. A young person whobelieves in nonviolence and carries flowers around to symbolize hispeace-loving nature. •/Flower children are supposed to be nonviolent, butthey sure make a lot of noise when they demonstrate!/ 2. Any person whocannot cope with reality. •/"Face facts, Suzie, stop being such a flowerchild!"/