The Rice University Neologisms Database

A person who is not dependable and has little concern for their effect on other people; shallow. This word is often applied to people in order to describe disregard for commitments. In addition, ‘flake’ is heard sometimes as well as a verb and compounded with ‘out’, as in, ‘she’ll just flake-out on us.’ This word was seen as the title for a Jack Johnson song, Flake, which was released in January 2002. The song contains the line: “It seems to me that maybe, pretty much always means no.” this line characterizes the meaning of ‘flake’ through the use demonstration of the use of ‘maybe’ when there is no intention of following through. The mainstream meaning of ‘flake’ as used today usually refers to a piece of snow or a small tuft of material. The use of ‘flake’ in the context of this entry is related to this original use, but the meaning has changed substantially. Both are nouns and both refer to unsubstantial and flimsy things, but their applications are different. The use of ‘flake’ by my roommate is probably due to two factors: the popularity of the word and the convenience of the word. Since ‘flake’ is a prevalent word among teenagers and college students, the use of the word reinforces belonging to the group. Also, ‘flake’ is a quick and accurate way to describe a person versus ‘she doesn’t do things when she says she will.’