Meaning & use
Spanish flip flop
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A sudden reversal of policy by a Spanish government or party, especially one made to win votes or calm protest.
Grammar: Countable, so you can say a Spanish flip flop or several Spanish flip flops.
Patterns
- a Spanish flip flop on something
- perform a Spanish flip flop
Commentators called the delay a Spanish flip flop, since the same minister had promised the opposite last year.
After street protests, the council's Spanish flip flop on housing left both sides angry.
nouncountable
An act of changing position twice in quick succession in Spanish politics, so that no clear policy remains.
Grammar: Often used with verbs like describe, call or see: critics described the move as a Spanish flip flop.
Patterns
- describe something as a Spanish flip flop
- be seen as a Spanish flip flop
The budget vote was seen as a Spanish flip flop that satisfied nobody.
Opponents mocked what they saw as another Spanish flip flop on energy taxes.
Word forms
| plural | Spanish flip flops |
|---|
Common combinations
- a Spanish flip flop on policy
- The paper ran a front page about the government's Spanish flip flop on pensions.
- accuse someone of a Spanish flip flop
- Rival parties accused the president of a Spanish flip flop over the border deal.
- a political flip flop
- Voters are tired of political flip flops in Madrid.
- reverse a decision
- Ministers reversed the decision, and the press called it a Spanish flip flop.
Synonyms and how they differ
- U-turn
- The general British term for any policy reversal; Spanish flip flop is narrower and ties the change to Spanish politics.
- reversal
- A neutral, formal word for turning a decision around; it carries no suggestion of weakness, which Spanish flip flop usually does.
- about-face
- Common in American writing for a complete change of position; it is not limited to Spain.
Opposites
Word family
- flip-flop noun
- A single change of mind or policy, without reference to Spain.
- flip-flopper noun
- A politician who keeps changing position.
- flip-flop verb
- To keep changing one's position on an issue.
Commonly confused: Spanish flip flop or flip-flops? Spanish flip flop or Spanish fly?
Spanish flip flop vs flip-flops
Without Spanish, this usually means the light rubber sandals worn in summer, not a change of policy.
Spanish flip flop vs Spanish fly
A completely different expression about an insect preparation; it has nothing to do with politics.
Practice
The newspaper said the prime minister had performed a Spanish flip flop. What did she do?
Choose one answer.
A Spanish flip flop is a policy reversal, often with a second change, so option 1 fits. Option 0 confuses it with the sandals called flip-flops, and option 2 is only about travel.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Spanish flip flop”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.