”Flop era” is teen slang that means things aren’t going well.
Who’s in their “flop era?” Hopefully, no one.
To be in one’s “flop era” is not ideal — it’s slang that means you’re going through a hard time, not thriving or otherwise failing.
According to Later.com, the term is deployed when a musical artist’s songs or general reputation is waning. “Flop era” can also apply to a reality star, actor, corporation or even trends in fashion or food.
On TikTok, people use “flop era” to admit to personal lulls in their dating life, career or school: “I’m in my flop era.”
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“Flop era” refers to a time period in someone’s life when they are experiencing setbacks — whether random bad luck or as a result of poor decisions,” Anna-Marie Sprenger, a 6th year PhD student specializing in sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology at the University of Chicago, tells TODAY.com in an email.
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While the “flop era” is temporary, says Sprenger, “It never refers to just one event; it’s either describing a succession of several negative events, or a longer period of general unwell, from approximately a few weeks to even two years.”
Where did ‘flop era’ come from?
“The figurative usage of 'flop' to mean failure has been around since the late 1800s,” says Sprenger. “In the last decade or so, ‘flop’ has been used for more personal events and opinions — rather than having to use ‘flop’ to talk about an album everyone knows is unsuccessful, it’s getting used for more subjective experiences.”
Sprenger’s examples:
- “My meal yesterday was such a flop! They forgot to give me queso for my nacho fries!”
- “Last night was such a flop! The club had a $10 cover charge and bad music!”
Sprenger adds, “Currently, ‘flop’ exists in direct contrast to ‘slay’ — a term meaning ‘success,’ originating from LGBT ballroom culture.”
The term “era” either represents a period of life or interest in a particular trend, according Sprenger, pointing to “healing era” for self-care or a simple, prairie-like aesthetic known as a “cottagecore era.”
In 2024, Paris Hilton told TODAY that she was loving her “mom era” as a mother of two.
The upside of a ‘flop era’
If your kid has proclaimed their “flop era,” don’t worry.
“It usually suggests that you see something almost comically ridiculous about your repeated flops,” explains Sprenger. “There’s a bit of levity there which wouldn’t be the case with saying, ‘I’m having a period of failure,’ — even though the two phrases could refer to the same set of events.”
Moreover, “flop era” is often seen as supportive when applied to a friend. “You are expressing sympathy for them and their difficulties,” says Sprenger.
You can still stan a celebrity, even during their “flop era.”
“It means they are going through a bad phase that contrasts with better times ... If you don’t like an artist, you don’t talk about their ‘flop era’ because their whole essence is a flop to you already,” says Sprenger.
“Flop eras” frequently have a bright side, “an acceptance of the highs and lows ... of life,” says Sprenger. “‘Flop era’ means there is also a ‘slay era’ at the end of it.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
