Where did the term ''flapper'' originate from?

Question:

Where did the term ''flapper'' originate from?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: "The term flapper first appears in Britain, though the etymology is disputed. It may be in reference to a young bird flapping its wings while learning to fly, or it may derive from an earlier use in northern England of flapper to mean "teenage girl" (whose hair is not yet put up), or "prostitute". While many in the United States assumed at the time that the term flapper derived from a fashion of wearing galoshes unbuckled so that they could show people their bodies as they walked, the term was already documented as in use in the United Kingdom as early as 1912."

"Flapper : Origins" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/flapper#ori...

" flapper :
"forward young woman," 1921 slang, from flap (v.), but the exact connection is disputed. Perhaps from flapper "young wild-duck or partridge" (1747), with ref. to flapping wings while learning to fly; but other suggested sources are late 19c. northern Eng. dialectal use for "teen-age girl" (on notion of one with the hair not yet put up), or an earlier meaning "prostitute" (1889), which is perhaps from dial. flap "young woman of loose character" (1613)."

Online Etymology Dictionary : http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?sear...