What it means
Means the cinema or the movies, usually in the set phrase go to the flicks. It sounds a bit old-school, like your dad's first date, but people still say it when they want to keep things casual. The word flick likely nods to the flicker of early film projectors, which is a nice bit of history.
Usage examples
"You up for the flicks tonight? New horror's on at eight, and I'm skint, so we'll do cheap seats and sneak in some Pick and Mix."
"Pouring outside, half the lads off work with the flu, so we packed up at four and headed for the flicks. The popcorn was bigger than my forearm."
"Nan still calls it the flicks even though they renovated the Odeon and put in those reclining seats. Says the price of a ticket has gone flickin’ mad, mind."
"We can't afford a big one this weekend, so let's just go the flicks, split some nachos, and call it a win."
"Mum said no pub, no party, no nonsense, so me and my brother ended up at the flicks watching some daft action thing and absolutely loving it."
Where it comes from
It comes from the early days of cinema, when film projectors made the picture visibly flicker on screen. That little visual shimmy gave people flicks as a casual name for the movies. The phrase hung around, especially in British English, even after the tech stopped doing the jittery light dance.
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.
