Flap v.

Also 4–6 flapp(e. [prob. of onomatopœic origin; cf. clap, slap, flack, etc. Equivalent words in form and sense are Du. flappen to strike, clap, Ger. flappen to clap, applaud.]

  † 1.  trans. To strike with a sudden blow. Also with down, in sunder. In later use chiefly implying a stroke with a blunt weapon. Obs. exc. dial.

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 2782. Alle þe flesche of þe flanke he flappes in sondyre.

c. 1477.  Caxton, Jason, 67 b. A grete whirling or tourbillion of winde cam sodaynly & flapped him on the visage.

1536.  Skelton, Magnyf., 1525. I shall flappe hym as a fole to fall at my fete.

1843.  T. Wilson, Pitman’s Pay, II. lxxvii.

  † b.  intr. or absol. Obs.

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. VII. 174. And flapten on with fleiles · from morwe til euen.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XII. ix. (1495), 419. A storke … smytyth other flappythwith hisbylle.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 7673.

c. 1460.  Towneley Myst. (Surtees), 206. Now falle I the fyrst to flap on hys hyde.

  † c.  To flap in the mouth (with a lie): to tell a barefaced falsehood to. Also, to flap the lie in one’s teeth. Obs.

1579.  Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 68. I will flappe Ferardo in the mouth with some conceipt, and fil his olde head so full of new fables, that thou shalt rather be earnestly entreated to repaire to his house, then euill entreated to leaue it.

1611.  Cotgr., Emboucher d’vn mensonge … to … flap in the mouth, with an (apparant) lie.

c. 1645.  Howell, Lett. (1650), III. xxiii. 37. They will flap the lie in Truths teeth though she visibly stand before their face without any visard.

1654.  Fuller, Comm. Ruth (1868), 162. So many children flap their parents in the mouth with a lie, that they have been in their study, in their calling, in good company, or in lawful recreations; when the truth is, they have been in some drinking school, tavern, or alehouse, misspending of the precious time.

  2.  To strike with something flexible and broad (e.g., a fly-flapper); to drive away or off; to put out (a light) as with a blow so given.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 11795.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 164. Flappyn wythe a flappe, fabello.

1553.  T. Wilson, Rhet. (1580), 201. When many flies stode feedyng vpon his rawe fleshe & had wel fedde themselues, he was contented at anothers persuasion, to haue them flapte awaie.

1603.  Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 966. With the rest of his taile he flapped and beat her legges.

1677.  Compleat Servant-Maid, 68. Take your point or lace and shake the bread clean off, then take a clean linen cloth and gently flap it over oftentimes.

1726.  Swift, Gulliver, III. ii. 16. With these Bladders they now and then flapped the Mouths and Ears of those who stood near them, of which Practice I could not then conceive the Meaning.

1735.  Pope, Prol. Sat., 309.

1842.  Tennyson, St. Simeon Stylites, 171.

1843.  Le Fevre, Life Trav. Phys., I. I. i. 7. I was assured that two men would run before me to flap away the flies.

  b.  Of a bird: To strike with the flat of the wing; also to drive off (etc.) by flapping.

1585.  J. B., trans. Viret’s Sch. Beastes, D j. When the female tarieth over long in the feeldes, they [Pygeons] flappe them with their winges.

1601.  Holland, Pliny, I. 371. With dashing and flapping the water with their wings, they dazle the sight of their enemie.

1604.  R. L’Estrange, Fables, ccclxxviii. The Eagle Flapt off the former [the Beetle], and Devoured the other [the Hare].

1813.  T. Busby, Lucretius, iv. 847.

1819.  Wiffen, Aonian Hours (1820), 76.

1827.  W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d, 62.

  c.  fig. To call the attention of, as if with a flap; to prompt, remind. Cf. quot. 1726 in 2 and FLAPPER 1.

1790.  Mad. D’Arblay, Diary, 20 May. ‘He wants nothing,’ cried I, ‘but a flapper.’ ‘Yes, and he takes flapping inimitably.’ ‘You, then,’ I cried, ‘should be his flapper.’

1888.  Sir C. Gavan Duffy, An Australian Example, in Contemporary Review, LIII. Jan., 13. They sent their complaint to the Home Government, despatched an agent to London to ‘flap’ the Colonial Office, and even secured a certain tepid interest for the question in the London Press.

  d.  intr. To make a flap or stroke. Also with down. † To flap at (something) with a fox’s tail: said fig. of a lenient or pretended reproof.

1581.  Lambarde, Eirenarcha, IV. xvi. (1588), 582. This is but to looke through the fingers (as wee say) and to strike or flap at a fault with a Foxe taile, and none other.

c. 1839.  Landor, Imag. Conv., Wks. 1846, II. 108–9. I flap down with the border of my glove, and brush away and blow off these gossamer pretensions.

  † 3.  a. trans. To clap (the hands). b. intr. To clap, applaud. Also quasi-trans. To clap (applause); to signify by clapping. Obs.

1382.  Wyclif, Prov. xvii. 18. A fool man shal for ioȝe flappe with hondis. Ibid., Jer. v. 31. Prestus flappeden for ioȝe their hondes.

1583.  Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 42. Thee Moors hands clapping, the Troians, plaudite, flapped.

  4.  a. trans. To toss with a smart movement; to throw down suddenly; to fold together roughly. Also, to toss (a pancake). Obs. exc. dial.

c. 1320.  The Seuyn Sages (W.), 766.

1644.  R. Culmer, Cathedrall Newes from Canterbury, 5. The Maid out of hope to please her, went to bed, leaving the Ruffe flapt together, as her Mistris had stampt it: The next morning the Ruffe was found starch’t, none knew how.

1847.  Halliwell, Flap a froize, to turn it in the pan without touching it.

1877.  N. W. Linc. Gloss. ‘He flapped th’ newspaper doon upo’ th’ floor.’

  b.  intr. To fall or throw oneself down suddenly; to flop, colloq.

1660.  S. Fisher, Rusticks Alarm, Wks. (1679), 448. Like some Bettle he flyes aloft with a humming noise into the ayr, and at last flaps suddainly down into a peece of Cow-dung.

1753.  Foote, Eng. in Paris, I. Wks. 1799, I. 36. When ’twas her Turn to figure out, souse she flapp’d on her Back.

1834.  S. R. Maitland, Voluntary Syst. (1837), 89. They want to preach, and cannot do it extempore; and, having been brought up in such unprincipled ignorance, that they care not what they abandon or embrace, they set off at once to the hierarchy, flap down on their knees before the Bishop, and swear to believe and do all that he tells them, because he will let them read their sermons.

1865.  Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., VIII. XVIII. xiii. 50. Their officers, desperate, split the brandy-casks; soldiers flap down to drink it from the puddles.

  5.  intr. Of anything attached at one extremity or loosely fastened: To swing or sway about loosely; to flutter or oscillate as when moved by the wind. Often with the additional notion of making a noise by striking against something, or by the reciprocal concussion of the parts.

a. 1529.  Skelton, Elynour Rummyng, 134.

c. 1620.  Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), 9.

1635.  Quarles, Embl., III. xi.

1644.  Digby, Nat. Bodies (1645), 370. This Diaphragma is very sensible, receiving its vertue of feeling from the above mentioned branch of the fixt couple of nerves: and being of a trembling nature, is by our respiration kept in continuall motion: and flappeth upon all occasions, as a drum head would do, if it were slack and moyst; or as a sayle would do, that were brought into the wind.

1796.  Southey, Ball. & Metr. T., Rudiger, Poems VI. 21.

1805.  Wordsw., Waggoner, Concl. 49.

1815.  J. W. Croker, in Croker Papers (1884), July. We are now lying at sea with our sails flapping, and shall think ourselves well off to be at Ramsgate or Deal with the next afternoon’s tide.

1840.  Dickens, Barn. Rudge, lv. Currents of air rushed in, as the old doors jarred and creaked upon their hinges; the candles flickered and guttered down, and made long winding-sheets; the cheery deep-red curtains flapped and fluttered idly in the wind; even the stout Dutch kegs, overthrown and lying empty in dark corners, seemed the mere husks of good fellows whose jollity had departed, and who could kindle with a friendly glow no more.

1876.  E. Jenkins, Blot Queen’s Head, 7. The proprietors and all concerned in the Queen’s Inn were proud of their inn, and proud of their name, and proud of their sign-board wherever it flapped and shone.

1877.  Holderness Gloss., Flap, to close or shut with violence. ‘Shut deear or it’ll flap teea, ther’s sike a wind.’

  b.  trans. (causal) To cause to flap; to move (any surface) percussively. Also, to shut (a door) to sharply.

1565–73.  Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v., Plango, Windes flap togither wide garments in the aire.

1727.  Swift, Further Acc. E. Curll. In a most furious tone he thus broke out his books, which his distempered imagination represented to him as alive, coming down from their shelves, fluttering their leaves and flapping their covers at him.

1801.  Southey, Thalaba, III. ix.

1801.  Lusignan, II. 164. I … flapped my door to, and locked it.

  6.  a. intr. Of a hat: To have the flap or flaps swaying up and down or drooping.

1679.  Trials of White, & Other Jesuits, 82. He had an old black Hat on that flapp’d, and a pair of Spanish-Leather Shoes.

1712–3.  Guardian, No. 11, 24 March, ¶ 9. He was so ill that his hat began to flap.

  b.  trans. To pull down the flaps of (a hat).

1751.  Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), III. lxxviii. 41. His valet gave him notice, that he and his fellow-scout had discovered a chaise and six, driving at full speed towards them; upon which they had flapped their hats over their eyes, so as that they might not be known, in case they should be seen.

1758.  Johnson, Idler, No. 49, 24 March, ¶ 3. Before he had gone more than ten miles it began to rain. What course was to be taken! His soul disdained to turn back. He did what the King of Prussia might have done, he flapped his hat, buttoned up his cape, and went forwards, fortifying his mind, by the stoical consolation, that whatever is violent will be short.

1840.  Dickens, Barn. Rudge, i. A man wrapped in a loose riding-coat with huge cuffs ornamented with tarnished silver lace and large metal buttons, who sat apart from the regular frequenters of the house, and wearing a hat flapped over his face, which was still further shaded by the hand on which his forehead rested, looked unsociable enough.

  7.  trans. To move up and down, beat (the wings).

1567.  Golding, Ovid’s Metam., VI. 116.

1703.  Dampier, Voy., III. 115. These [Fowls] were as big as Lapwings; of a grey Colour, black about their Eyes, with red sharp Bills, long Wings, their Tails long and forked like Swallows; and they flew flapping their Wings like Lapwings.

1740.  Somerville, Hobbinol, II. 190.

1874.  Wood, Nat. Hist., 287. The Swift does not flap its wings so often as the swallow, and has a curious mode of shooting through the air as if hurled from some invisible bow, and guiding itself in its headlong course by means of its wings and tail.

  b.  absol. and intr. To beat the wings; to make movements like the beating of wings. Also of wings: To move up and down, beat.

1694.  R. L’Estrange, Æsop’s Fables, cxv. ’Tis a common Thing for an Old Jade to Counterfeit Lame, for fear of Hard Riding: for a Duck to run Flapping and Fluttering away, as if she were Maim’d, to carry People from her Young.

1697.  Dryden, Æneid, Ded., d iv. The Dira, or Flying Pest, which flapping on the Shield of Turnus, and fluttering about his Head, dishearten’d him in the Duel, and presag’d to him his approaching Death.

1821.  Clare, The Village Minstrel, and Other Poems, I. 87. Autumn.

1823.  Byron, Island, IV. xiii.

1842.  Hood, Turtles, vii.

1865.  E. B. Tylor, Researches into the Early History of Mankind, ii. 21. Make a bird’s bill with two fingers in front of one’s lips and flap with the arms, and that means ‘goose.’

1874.  T. Hardy, Madding Crowd, II. vii. 81. A light flapped over the scene, as if reflected from phosphorescent wings crossing the sky, and a rumble filled the air.

  8.  intr. (with advb. extension). a. Of a bird: To make way by flapping the wings. b. Of a ship: To make way with the sails flapping. (Cf. 5.)

1775.  Clayton, in Phil. Trans., LXVI. 104. Here is a species of ducks, called the loggerhead, from its large head. They have short wings, are unable to fly, and only swim and flap along on the water at an extraordinary rate.

1853.  Kane, Grinnell Exp., ix. (1856), 63. We pursued our way, flapping lazily along side of the ‘pack,’ and sometimes forcing an opening through its projecting tongues.

1870.  C. Kingsley, Letters from the Tropics, in Good Words, XI. June, 381/1. A slate-blue heron, or gawling, as they call him here, rose lazily off a dead bough, flapped fifty yards up the creek, and then sat down again.

  9.  † a. trans. To flap open: to throw open like a flap: see FLAP sb. 5. b. intr. To move like a flap.

1669.  W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 97. Gas … getting passage flaps open the Œsophagus.

1834–5.  R. B. Todd, The Cyclopædia of Anatomy and Physiology, I. 658/1. The pressure of the ventricular systole must thus be transmitted upwards until the valves flap together and close that opening.

  10.  slang. (See quots.)

1885.  Daily Tel., 18 Aug., 3/1. £70 … obtained by flapping a jay.

1889.  Barrère & Leland, Slang Dict., Flap the dimmock, to (popular), to pay. Ibid., Flap, to (thieves), to rob, to swindle; ‘to flap a jay,’ to swindle a greenhorn.

  † 11.  The verb stem used adverbially: With a flap or clap. Obs.^–1 Cf. FLOP.

1716.  Cibber, Love makes Man, I. i. For about eight a-Clock the next Day, flap they all sous’d upon their Knees, kiss’d round burnt their Commodes, drank my Health, broke their Glasses, and so parted.