flip

v. to force oneself to vomit, esp. among horse-racing jockeys. Subjects: English, Horses, Sports & Recreation, Slang

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Citations: 1985 Wayne Johnson Seattle Times (July 19) “Life on the Fast Track—Each Day, a Jockey Must Wage a Tough Struggled to Keep Ahead of the Rest” p. C1: Not even high-fashion models watch their weight closer than jockeys do. Ideally, a jockey should weigh 112 or less. “A lot of jocks eat, eat, eat and then puke, puke, puke. It becomes habitual with them. We call ‘em flippers, because they’ll stuff down a shake and french fries and then go flip it all up.” (In the toilet area of the jocks’ room, there’s a hand-lettered sign: “No flipping in first two stalls.”) 1991 Joe Sierra Washington Post (Apr. 28) “Pound for Pound, a Most Dangerous Sport; Bulimia Common Among Jockeys” p. D1: Bulimia is prevalent enough that jockeys casually refer to it as flipping, or heaving. 2004 Sherry Ross New York Daily News (Apr. 28) “Weigh in on riders”: It’s hard for me to feel sorry for guys that are driving three Mercedes and living in million-dollar homes and worrying about six or seven pounds because they have to ‘flip,’” Lukas said. (Flipping is racetrack parlance for self-induced vomiting).

Posted 28 Apr 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend