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Flip the script

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To reverse expected roles, outcomes, or narratives in a surprising way.

Detailed Definition
This modern idiom, from film production, celebrates subversion. In poetry, it often marks ironic twists, empowerment reversals, or genre-bending innovations. Poets use it to challenge stereotypes, upend power dynamics, or refresh stale forms. Its theatrical origin aligns with poetry’s performative nature, making it effective in contemporary verse that values surprise, agency, and the liberation found in rewriting one’s story against dominant scripts.
Example
Example in poetry:
Gender role reversal: “She flipped the script—proposed, paid, led; he embraced follower’s grace”; Historical rewrite: “Poem flips the script—Medusa speaks, blames Athena, not Perseus”; Power shift: “Intern flipped the script, exposed CEO’s fraud, now leads ethics committee”; Personal growth: “Therapy helped flip the script—I’m hero, not victim, of my story.”
Additional Notes
This modern idiom, from film production, celebrates subversion. In poetry, it marks ironic twists, empowerment reversals, or genre-bending innovations. Its theatrical origin aligns with poetry’s performative nature. Students should note its activist potential—flipping oppressive scripts. Related phrases include “turn the tables” and “reverse the narrative.” In feminist poetry, it reclaims agency; in postcolonial verse, it centers marginalized voices. Avoid superficial flips—true script-flipping challenges power structures, not just surface details.
Also Known As
Turn the tables
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