flikker op 🔊

Usage examples

• Flikker op, man!
  Fuck off, man! (common confrontational dismissal)
• Als je niet wilt luisteren, kan je gewoon flikker op.
  If you don't want to listen, you can just fuck off.

Etymology

A Dutch vulgar phrase meaning "fuck off." "Op" is a separable verbal particle meaning "up" or "away," common in Dutch phrasal verbs. "Flikker" presents a dual etymology: as a verb, "flikk(er)en" means "to flicker" or "to flash," and "flikker op" in its literal reading would be "flicker off" or "flash away" — similar to how English "piss off" uses a mundane verb for a vulgar dismissal. However, "flikker" is also a well-established Dutch derogatory slur for a gay man (cognate with Flemish and Afrikaans uses), derived from older terms for a "flickering" or unsteady person. The slur meaning has been in use since at least the early twentieth century. In modern Dutch urban speech, "flikker op" functions primarily as a generic "fuck off" rather than a specifically homophobic insult, but the slur etymology means the phrase carries an additional layer of offensiveness that speakers should be aware of.

Cultural notes

Dutch culture is generally known for its directness (known as "directheid"), and strong language in informal settings is more openly tolerated than in many other European cultures. Nevertheless, "flikker op" occupies a complicated position: as a generic "fuck off" it is simply strong and rude, but because "flikker" is also an anti-gay slur, LGBTQ+ communities and socially aware speakers in the Netherlands and Belgium consider the phrase additionally offensive on that basis. In Flemish Belgian Dutch the slur connotation is often more foregrounded. The phrase is common in street confrontations, heated sports contexts, and Dutch-language internet discourse, but would be considered unacceptable in professional or formal settings.

Same meaning, other languages

Accuracy

82% of 11 voters say this translation is accurate.