There are many slang phrases in the English language that are used in casual conversation. The phrase “catch you on the flip side” has been used in popular TV shows and movies for years. It is commonly used in friendly conversation as parting words. But what does this phrase really mean? In this post, we’ll break down the definition of the phrase “catch you on the flip side” with a few examples!
What Does “Catch You On The Flip Side Mean”?
The popular phrase ‘catch you on the flip side’ is a slang phrase that means ‘see you later’. This is an informal phrase that is most commonly used amongst friends in casual conversation.
- “It’s been nice staying with you bro, I’ll catch you on the flip side”.
As you can see, this phrase is a casual way of saying goodbye without taking too much time or sounding overly formal. Just like the words saw or seen, they should not be used in academic or formal communications. However, the origin of this phrase is unrelated to its current meaning and usage.
The ‘flip side’ refers to the reverse side of a record. When radio DJs at a record company wanted to announce that they would be flipping the record to the b side, they would warn the audience in case there was a temporary loss of signal! Of course, the DJ would quickly regain radio signal. But it was still common practice to give the audience a heads-up!
Takeaway: “Flip side” originated from flipping vinyl records. “Catch you on the flip side” is an informal way to bid farewell to a friend.
Sentence Examples
Here are some examples of how to use this popular phrase in your daily writing and conversation. Remember, informal terms like “flip side” or “Auntie vs Aunty” should not be used in academic writing.
- Before closing the space craft, Mark turned to his partner and said “catch you on the flip side buddy”.
- Just as Steve was about to board his flight and return home, he turn to his friend and said “I’ll catch you on the flip side b“.
- It was great visiting you these past two weeks, I’ll catch you on the flip side.
Just like we saw in our post on what does lmao mean, informal phrases is not always appropriate to use in all situations!
Synonyms To This Phrase
Here are some alternative ways you can saw “catch you on the flip side” to someone. In our post about different honestly synonyms we learned how important it is to vary your word choice.
- I’ll catch you on the rebound!
- See you later!
- Talk to you soon!
- I’ll see you on the other side!
- I’ll catch you next time!
Just like the words yup or yep, these phrases are informal and should not be used in professional communications!
Popularity
After reviewing Google’s n-gram data, it is clear that the phrase “flip side” has been increasingly popular in recent years. Since 1980 the phrase has become a very popular colloquial phrase used in casual conversations.
However, just as we saw in our analysis of the words monkeys & monkies, vocabulary can come in and out of popularity. For various reasons, a word or phrase can become extremely rare and even stop being used by authors altogether! Other slang phrases such as “Lets blow this popsicle stand” have also increased in popularity in recent years.
Other Popular Movie Quotes
Movies & music have a powerful influence. Many people don’t even realize that many of the popular phrases & idioms originated in movies.
“Catch you on the flip side” is no different! This phrase was first made popular by the 1977 movie Smokey and The Bandit and is still prevalent today. In modern culture, the movie Boondock Saints also used this phrase as a slang way to say goodbye.
Another popular movie quote that is popular today is the “good ol days”! Andy from the Office made this saying popular once again in recent years.
Frequently Asked Questions
The phrase catch you on the flip side is an informal way of saying farewell or goodbye. For example, an astronaut taking his seat in a rocket ship might say “catch you on the flip side” before shutting the cabin door.
The phrase “catch you on the flip side” is am informal way to say “I’ll see you later”. This popular phrase originates from radio DJs using vinyl records. A radio or record company would call the back side of vinyl records the “flip side”. Radio DJs flip records from the A side to the B side. The Dj might also say “catch you on the flip side” before flipping their record in case they lose radio signal.
A phrase equivalent for “flip side” is “on the other hand”. For example, you might say “I travel a lot for work, but on the flip side, I get to travel the country for free.”
The flip side of a situation is an alternate perspective of the situation. It is usually a less popular or lesser-known track to take.
Final Thoughts
Now you should be a master of the phrase “catch you on the flip side”! This is a fun way of telling a friend that you will “see them later”. Remember, this phrase is used in a very colloquial way and should not be used in formal, academic writing, or business email. Just like we saw in our post about how do you spell ma’am, context matters when it comes to spelling and word choice. If you need some extra help with grammar checking, consider using our English grammar check tool FREE of charge!