If there was any justice in the world it would be unilaterally decided that bobbing is further than nipping is further than popping.
My Mrs is always on the go ..... always "just popping" somewhere. It's a running joke. So I bought her some PJs for Xmas with Just Poppin' on. Ordered them large, so they would be loose fitting for her ........ but they are American large, so now I wear them and they are loose fitting on me too.
Well, in the days of the old wooden fighting ships (1600 to 1830) the anchor cable was hauled up by the capstan. Not directly onto the capstan drum but by another cable called a messenger. This circular cable went round the main capstan and another just behind the bow of the ship, the anchor cable was then attached to the messenger by a length of rope called a nipper. The ship's boys that ran backwards and forwards with these small ropes were called 'nippers'. The anchor cable was then fed down into the cable tier and coiled down. Just thowt you might be interested.
You can nip out and never come back but if you bob out or pop out you won't be gone long. So nip for me.
Mostly I nip to places. I might bob if I was travelling on the bottom of the beautiful briney sea. But I never pop. Only weasels pop.
Good point …. Perhaps they signify a period of time if no destination is stated ? I think bobbing is the furthest distance or longest time however.