pseudo-synonyms which are also close in their spellings

Krystyna,

Do you agree that the fish "flipping and flopping around" are mainly nice sounds for kid stories?

I understood flip as a movement upwards of the fish and flop as a movement downloads.
"Flip" gets the idea of a toss.
"Flop" gets the idea of downwards.

You explanation of flip-flop joins mine (about the tapes).

Hi Gérard,

Yes, I think so !
Like in Dr Seuss stories, the words rhyme but don't particularly make good sense !

eg slip-slop-slap is a catch-cry we use for children to remind them to protect themselves from the hot Australian sun in summer ... "slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat"

Nice reminder for Oz kids!