Give something a fillip

To give something a fillip is to give it impetus or stimulation and this usage dates from the early 1700s. A fillip (sometimes spelt filip) is an imitative word that dates from the early 16th century and describes a click of the fingers. From this, it came to mean a smart blow or signal to get things moving. Flip as in to flip a coin is a contraction of fillip and dates from the late 16th century.