'flophouse' originates from American English, combining 'flop,' meaning 'to fall or lie down heavily,' with 'house,' indicating a place of residence.

'flop' was used in the late 19th century to describe the act of lying down, and 'house' was added to denote a place where one could do so cheaply.

Initially, it referred to any place where one could lie down, but it evolved to specifically mean a cheap lodging house.