to flip out

Idiom: to flip out

First Example: When I accidentally dropped my new iPhone into a cup of coffee, I flipped out! I had just bought it the day before, and it was very expensive.

Meaning: to flip out means to suddenly become excited, frightened, or crazy. In the first example, the person dropped a new and expensive iPhone into a cup of coffee, so of course he became a little crazy.

Here is another example:

Second Example: When Julie came home and found a burglar in her kitchen, she just flipped out. She couldn't stop screaming, even after he ran away.

Meaning: In this case, Julie is really shocked and scared that a burglar is in her house. She can't control herself and just keeps screaming.

This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Transitions," which is used in the Level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/