Flip (slang)
Encyclopedia
Flip is a term used colloquially particularly by Filipino American
youth to refer to those of Filipino
descent.
According to the late journalist and activist Alex De Leon Fabros, Sr. (1903–1999), the term was first used among Filipinos sometime after his immigration to the United States
in 1929.
While Flip is usually used inoffensively, the folk etymology of the term is that it is an acronym for "fucking little island people" which was allegedly coined by American soldiers during World War II. In response, many young Filipino Americans changed the first word of the acronym to funny, fine, or friendly. In the Philippines, the slang flip was invariably used as an acronym for "fine-looking island people" by several advertisements.
A more plausible etymology of the term is that it is derived from the word Filipino.
There are Filipinos who do avoid the term for other reasons (such as "flipped" being used to mean "gone crazy", giving the term a perceived negative connotation) and prefer to be simply called Filipino or Pinoy/Pinay instead.
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
youth to refer to those of Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
descent.
According to the late journalist and activist Alex De Leon Fabros, Sr. (1903–1999), the term was first used among Filipinos sometime after his immigration to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1929.
While Flip is usually used inoffensively, the folk etymology of the term is that it is an acronym for "fucking little island people" which was allegedly coined by American soldiers during World War II. In response, many young Filipino Americans changed the first word of the acronym to funny, fine, or friendly. In the Philippines, the slang flip was invariably used as an acronym for "fine-looking island people" by several advertisements.
A more plausible etymology of the term is that it is derived from the word Filipino.
There are Filipinos who do avoid the term for other reasons (such as "flipped" being used to mean "gone crazy", giving the term a perceived negative connotation) and prefer to be simply called Filipino or Pinoy/Pinay instead.
See also
- PinoyPinoyPinoy is an informal demonym referring to the Filipino people in the Philippines and overseas Filipinos around the world. Filipinos usually refer to themselves as Pinoy or sometimes the feminine Pinay...
- Flippish - a term used to refer to anything that has Filipino flavor or characteristic
- Filipino peopleFilipino peopleThe Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
- Filipino AmericanFilipino AmericanFilipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...