What is "fling"

Fling \Fling\, v. i.

1. To throw; to wince; to flounce; as, the horse began to kick and fling.

2. To cast in the teeth; to utter abusive language; to sneer; as, the scold began to flout and fling.

3. To throw one's self in a violent or hasty manner; to rush or spring with violence or haste.

   And crop-full, out of doors he flings.
   --Milton.

   I flung closer to his breast, As sword that, after battle, flings to sheath.
   --Mrs. Browning.

   To fling out, to become ugly and intractable; to utter sneers and insinuations.

Fling \Fling\ (fl[i^]ng), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flung (fl[u^]ng); p. pr. & vb. n. Flinging.] [OE. flingen, flengen, to rush, hurl; cf. Icel. flengia to whip, ride furiously, OSw. flenga to strike, Sw. fl["a]nga to romp, Dan. flenge to slash.]

1. To cast, send, to throw from the hand; to hurl; to dart; to emit with violence as if thrown from the hand; as, to fing a stone into the pond.

   'T is Fate that flings the dice: and, as she flings, Of kings makes peasants, and of peasants kings.
   --Dryden.

   He . . . like Jove, his lighting flung.
   --Dryden.

   I know thy generous temper well. Fling but the appearance of dishonor on it, It straight takes fire.
   --Addison.

2. To shed forth; to emit; to scatter.

   The sun begins to fling His flaring beams.
   --Milton.

   Every beam new transient colors flings.
   --Pope.

3. To throw; to hurl; to throw off or down; to prostrate; hence, to baffle; to defeat; as, to fling a party in litigation. His horse started, flung him, and fell upon him. --Walpole. To fling about, to throw on all sides; to scatter. To fling away, to reject; to discard. Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition. --Shak. To fling down.

   1. To throw to the ground; esp., to throw in defiance, as formerly knights cast a glove into the arena as a challenge.

      This question so flung down before the guests, . . . Was handed over by consent of all To me who had not spoken.
      --Tennyson.

   2. To overturn; to demolish; to ruin.

      To fling in, to throw in; not to charge in an account; as, in settling accounts, one party flings in a small sum, or a few days' work.

      To fling off, to baffle in the chase; to defeat of prey; also, to get rid of.
      --Addison.

      To fling open, to throw open; to open suddenly or with violence; as, to fling open a door.

      To fling out, to utter; to speak in an abrupt or harsh manner; as, to fling out hard words against another.

      To fling up, to relinquish; to abandon; as, to fling up a design.

Fling \Fling\, n.

1. A cast from the hand; a throw; also, a flounce; a kick; as, the fling of a horse.

2. A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe; a sarcasm.

   I, who love to have a fling, Both at senate house and king.
   --Swift.

3. A kind of dance; as, the Highland fling.

4. A trifing matter; an object of contempt. [Obs.]

   England were but a fling Save for the crooked stick and the gray goose wing.
   --Old Proverb.

5. a short period during which one indulges one's wishes, whims, or desires in an unrestrained manner.

6. a love affair.

7. a casual or brief attempt to accomplish something.

   Syn: shot.

8. a period during which one tries a new activity; as, he took a fling at playing tennis.

   To have one's fling, to enjoy one's self to the full; to have a season of dissipation.
   --J. H. Newman. ``When I was as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of pleasure.''
   --D. Jerrold.

c.1300, "to dash, run, rush," probably from or related to Old Norse flengja "to flog," which is of uncertain origin, perhaps from Proto-Germanic *flang- (cognates: Old Swedish flenga "strike," Danish flænge "slash, gash"), from a nasalized variant of PIE *plak- (2) "to strike" (see plague (n.)). Meaning "to throw, cast, hurl" is from mid-14c. An obsolete word for "streetwalker, harlot" was fling-stink (1670s). Related: Flung; flinging, but in Middle English with past tense flang, past participle flungen.

early 14c., "attempt, attack," (in phrase make a fling), from fling (v.). Hence have a fling at, etc. "make a try." From 1560s as "a wild dash, an excited kicking up." Sense of "period of indulgence on the eve of responsibilities" first attested 1827. Meaning "vigorous dance" (associated with the Scottish Highlands) is from 1804.

n. 1 An act of throwing, often violently. 2 An act of moving the limbs or body with violent movements, especially in a dance. 3 An act or period of unrestrained indulgence. 4 A short, often sexual, relationship. 5 (context figuratively English) An attempt, a try (as in ''"give it a fling"''). 6 (context obsolete English) A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe; a sarcasm. 7 A kind of dance. 8 (context obsolete English) A trifing matter; an object of contempt. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To throw with violence or quick movement; to hurl. 2 (context intransitive archaic English) To throw oneself in a violent or hasty manner; to rush or spring with violence or haste. 3 (context intransitive archaic English) To throw; to wince; to flounce. 4 (context intransitive archaic English) To utter abusive language; to sneer.

1. v. throw with force or recklessness; "fling the frisbee"

2. move in an abrupt or headlong manner; "He flung himself onto the sofa"

3. indulge oneself; "I splurged on a new TV" [syn: splurge]

4. throw or cast away; "Put away your worries" [syn: discard, toss, toss out, toss away, chuck out, cast aside, dispose, throw out, cast out, throw away, cast away, put away]

5. [also: flung]

1. n. a usually brief attempt; "he took a crack at it"; "I gave it a whirl" [syn: crack, go, pass, whirl, offer]

2. a brief indulgence of your impulses [syn: spree]

3. the act of flinging

4. [also: flung]

A fling is an Irish musical form in duple meter. Like the highland, it is related to the Scottish highland fling and the hornpipe, found throughout the British Isles. Like its Scottish cousin, a fling is played in cut time and has a dotted rhythm. A typical fling has a 16- bar form divided into two parts, each consisting of four bars which are repeated: AABB.

• A transcription of Mary Brennan's Favourite fling

Fling may refer to:

• Fling, a brief casual relationship
• Fling (candy), a chocolate bar made by Mars, Incorporated
• Fling (film), a 2008 John Stewart Muller film
• FLING, the Struggle Front for the National Independence of Guinea
• "Fling", a song by Built to Spill from their 1994 album There's Nothing Wrong with Love
• Highland Fling, a traditional Scottish dance
• Fling (Irish), a traditional Irish musical form and dance
• Fling, a Flingo product used to transfer online digital information to a television set
• The Fling (band), a California music group
• "Fling", an episode of the television series Zoboomafoo

Fling, internationally titled Lie to Me, is an independent Comedy film about a couple navigating the hazards of an open relationship. It is the feature directorial debut of director John Stewart Muller and stars Brandon Routh, Steve Sandvoss, Courtney Ford, Nick Wechsler, Shoshana Bush and Ellen Hollman. It is the first feature from Santa Monica-based Steele Films and was written and produced by John Stewart Muller and his partner Laura Boersma.

Fling features Brandon Routh in his first lead role since Superman Returns. It premiered to a sold out crowd at the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival on April 26 in the Lido Theater on the Balboa Peninsula. The film received an award for "Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking" from the festival's jury.

Fling had its official Los Angeles premiere on October 18 at the Fine Arts Theatre on Wilshire Blvd. as part of the 2008 LA Femme Film Festival.

Shortly thereafter, it had its completely sold out East Coast premiere on November 7 at the 2008 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. One week later on November 14, Fling had its Midwest premiere at the Screenland Theatre in the Crossroads District of Kansas City, Missouri which kicked off a month-long run at the theater.

Fling had its international premiere at the 2008 Bahamas International Film Festival on December 5, 2008. North American distribution is being handled by Peace Arch Entertainment and the DVD was released on March 24, 2009.