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

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

[flag down]{v.}, {informal} To stop by waving a signal flag or as if 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} A disjointed, or "flaky" person, who is forgetful and incoherent, as if under the influence of narcotics. •/Hermione is a regular flakeball./ Compare: SPACED OUT.

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

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

[flare up]{v.} 1. To burn brightly for a short time especially after having died down. •/The fire flared up again and then died./ 2. To become suddenly angry. •/The mayor flared up at the reporter’s remark./ •/The mother flared up at her children./ 3. To begin again suddenly, especially for a short time after a quiet time. •/Mr. Gray’s arthritis flared up sometimes./ •/Even after they had conquered the country, revolts sometimes flared 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 of hostilities in some countries./

[flash] See: IN A FLASH.

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

[flash in the pan]{n. phr.}, {slang} A person or thing that starts out well but does not continue. •/The new quarterback was a flash in the pan./ •/Mary got 100 on the first test in arithmetic but it was just a flash 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 no mountains or hills. •/A great part of the American Midwest is as flat as a pancake./

[flat broke] See: STONE-BROKE.

[flatfoot]{n.}, {slang}, {derogatory} A policeman. •/"What does 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 the accusation./ •/He came out flat-footed against the idea./ 2. Not ready; not prepared; — usually used with "catch". •/The teacher’s question caught Tim flat-footed./ •/Unexpected company at lunch time caught Mrs. Green flat-footed./

[flat-out]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1. Without hiding anything; plainly; openly. •/The student told his teacher flat-out that he was not listening to her./ 2. At top speed; as fast as possible. •/He saw two men running 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 is not welcome; an annoying or surprisingly sharp reply or hint. •/I’ll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more./

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

[flesh] See: IN PERSON also IN THE FLESH, NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL also NEITHER 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. The appearance of being real or alive. •/The author doesn’t give his characters any flesh and blood./ 3. The human body. •/Before child labor laws, small children often worked 50 or 60 hours a week in factories. It was more than flesh and blood could bear./

[flesh out]{v.}, {informal} 1. To add to; make fuller, bigger, or longer. •/The author fleshed out his story by adding more about his war experiences./ 2. also [flesh up] To become heavier, put on weight, or flesh. •/He lost weight after his illness but is beginning to flesh out again./ 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 he flip-flopped his left halfback and fullback./

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

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

[flip one’s lid] also [flip one’s wig] {slang} 1. To lose one’s temper. •/When that pushy salesman came back Mom really flipped her lid./ Compare: BLOW A FUSE. 2. To lose your mind; become insane. •/When he offered me 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 saw in the store window./ •/He’s flipped his lid over that new actress./

[flip out]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To go insane, to go out of one’s mind. •/A is impossible to talk to Joe today — he must have flipped 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 sudden announcement that he would retire floored all of us in the office./

[floorwalker]{n.} A section manager in a department store. •/To exchange 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 who believes in nonviolence and carries flowers around to symbolize his peace-loving nature. •/Flower children are supposed to be nonviolent, but they sure make a lot of noise when they demonstrate!/ 2. Any person who cannot cope with reality. •/"Face facts, Suzie, stop being such a flower child!"/