A story relates how a New York Times reporter, seeking to do a lifestyles article in the early-90's; called up Sub-Pop Records to ask about any cool sub-cultural slang in the Seattle grunge scene.
A receptionist at Sub Pop answered the phone, and, since no one else wanted to talk to the reporter, she answered his questions, by making up a list of cool slang terms off the top of her head. One of these, was "Swinging on the Flippity Flop", which she said was the expression for hanging out, doing nothing.
The New York Times published the list of words she made up, of course.