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Fly. World English Historical Dictionary

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Fly. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Bibliographic Record Farmer’s Slang & Its Analogues. 1890–1909, rev. 2022. Fly subs. (old).—A familiar; hence, by implication, a parasite or SUCKER (q.v.). [In the sixteenth and seventeenth century it was held that familiar spirits, in the guise of flies, lice, fleas, etc., attended witches, who for a price professed to dispose of the power for evil thus imparted.]

1   1596.  LODGE, Incarnate Devils. This Diuel prefers an Ephimerides before a Bible; and his Ptolomey and Hali before Ambrose, golden Chrisostome, or S. Augustine: Promise him a familier, and he will take a FLIE in a box for good paiment.

2   1610.  JONSON, The Alchemist, i., 1.          Face.  You are mistaken, doctor. Why he does ask one but for cups and horses, A rifling FLY; none of your great familiars.

3   1622.  MASSINGER, The Virgin Martyr, ii., 2.                    Courtiers have FLIES, That buzz all news unto them.

4   2.  (old).—A printer’s devil; specifically a boy who lifted the printed sheets from the press. [Now the vibrating frame used for the same purpose.]

5   1688.  RANDLE HOLME, Academy of Armoury. These boys do in a printing-house commonly black and bedaub themselves, when the workmen do jocosely call them devils, and sometimes spirits, and sometimes FLIES.

6   3.  (trade).—A customer.

7   4.  (common).—The act of spinning a coin. Cf., FLUTTER.

8   5.  (old).—A public wagon: afterwards (colloquial) a four-wheel hackney coach. Fr., mouche (fly) = a public boat on the Seine.

9   1714.  Memoirs of John Hall (4 ed.), s.v.

10   6.  (common).—A policeman. For synonyms, see BEAK and COPPER.

11   1857.  SNOWDEN, Magistrates’ Assistant, 3rd ed., p. 440. A policeman; a FLY.

12   Adj. (common).—1.  Knowing; ARTFUL (q.v.); up to every move; cute. Also FLY TO, A-FLY, FLY TO THE GAME, and FLY TO WHAT’S WHAT. Cf., AWAKE, and, for synonyms, see KNOWING; FLY DOG (q.v.).

13   1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum. Cheese it, the coves are FLY; be silent, the people understand our discourse.

14   1823.  W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, Act II., Sc. 2. Jerry. Charlies’ fiddles?—I’m not FLY, Doctor. Log. Rattles, Jerry, rattles! you’re FLY now, I see.

15   1838.  GLASCOCK, Land Sharks and Sea Gulls, II., 4. That’s right; I see you’re FLY to every fakement.

16   1850.  Lloyd’s Weekly, 3 Feb. ‘Low Lodging Houses of London.’ They say the FLIEST is easy to take in sometimes—that’s the artfullest; but I could do no good there.

17   1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, vol. I., p. 260. ‘We were too FLY to send anybody to market but ourselves.’

18   1861.  H. KINGSLEY, Ravenshoe, ch. xxxv. [Chas. Ravenshoe to Shoeblack]. ‘On the cross?’ said Charles. ‘Ah,’ the boy said, ‘he goes out cly faking and such. He’s a prig, and a smart one, too. He’s FLY, is Harry.

19   1876.  M. E. BRADDON, Dead Men’s Shoes, ch. lii. ‘Go and fetch the cleverest police officer in Liverpool, and let him wait outside this door till I want him.’ ‘I’m FLY,’ answers the youth, brightening at the prospect of excitement and remuneration. ‘Case of ’bezzlement, I suppose, Sir?’

20   1877.  W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ii. 125. A certain prisoner, who was what is termed a very ‘FLY’ man, i.e., a clever, scheming fellow … sounded him as to getting tobacco and other matters.

21   188[?].  JENNY HILL, Broadside Ballad. I’ve cut my wisdom teeth, some at top, some underneath…. So you needn’t try it on; I’m FLY.

22   1890.  Punch, 30 Aug., p. 9. ‘Briggs, Junior,’ a lobsculler called me; I wasn’t quite FLY to his lay.

23   1891.  Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 9 Jan. If you get among a FLY lot, why they’d skin you in less than no time.

24   2.  (common).—Dextrous.

25   1834.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, bk. III., ch. v. No dummy hunter had forks so FLY.

26   1839.  REYNOLDS, Pickwick Abroad, p. 223. We’ll knap a fogle with fingers FLY.

27   3.  (venery).—Wanton. FLY-GIRL, -WOMAN, or -DAME = a prostitute.

28   1888.  San Francisco News Letter, 4 Feb. ‘I’m just gettin’ sick’n tired o’ the way ’t them FLY dames go on, ’n the way ’t the fellahs hang round ’em ’n dance with ’em ’n so forth.’

29   Verb. (thieves’).—1.  To toss; to raise; TO FLY THE MAGS = to toss up half-pence (cf., subs., sense 4).

30   1857.  SNOWDEN, Magistrates’ Assistant, 3rd ed., p. 447. To lift a window, to FLY a window.

31   2.  (pugilistic).—To give way: as, china FLIES in the baking.

32   1865.  G. F. BERKELEY, My Life and Recollections, II., 296. [Heenan] told me his right hand was worth nothing to him, and we have since seen that his left FLIES, or in other words, becomes puffed, softened, or severely damaged by the force of his own blows.

33   TO FLY AROUND, verb. phr. (American).—To bestir oneself; to make haste. Also TO FLY AROUND AND TEAR ONE’S SHIRT.

34   1851.  J. J. HOOPER, The Widow Rugby’s Husband, etc., p. 44, Old ’ooman, FLY AROUND, git somethin’ for the Squire and Dick to eat.

35   TO FLY THE FLAG, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1.  To walk the streets.

36   2.  (vulgar).—To experience the menstrual flux.

37   See also FLAG.

38   TO FLY HIGH (or RATHER HIGH).—1.  verb. phr. (common).—To get, or be drunk. For synonyms, see DRINKS and SCREWED.

39   2.  (colloquial).—To keep the best company, maintain the best appearances, and affect the best aims: i.e., to be a HIGH-FLIER (q.v.). Also, to venture for the biggest stakes in the biggest way.

40   TO FLY LOW, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To make as little of oneself as possible; to SING SMALL (q.v.); and (among thieves) to keep out of the way when WANTED (q.v.).

41   TO FLY OFF THE HANDLE, verb. phr. (American pioneer).—To lose temper; to fail of a promise; to jilt; to die; also TO SLIP OFF THE HANDLE (q.v.); to disappoint in any way. [In pioneer life for an axe to part company with its handle is a serious trial to temper and patience.]

42   1843–4.  HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Attaché. You never see such a crotchical old critter as he is. He FLIES RIGHT OFF THE HANDLE for nothing.

43   1867.  Home Journal (New York), 21 July. (Speaking of a man who had succeeded to a large fortune it says) he WENT OFF THE HANDLE in England rather unexpectedly.

44   1871.  DE VERE, Americanisms, p. 195. If a fair lady loses her temper, or worst of all, if she breaks the tender promise, she is said to FLY OFF THE HANDLE, and the disappointment is as serious to the unlucky lover as a lost axe to many a settler.

45   1888.  Pittsburg Chronicle. ‘I can’t say that I am stuck on Sue Fitzpercy,’ remarked Amy. ‘She is liable TO FLY OFF THE HANDLE.’

46   TO FLY OUT, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To get angry; to scold.

47   1612.  CHAPMAN, The Widow’s Tears, ii, 1, p. 317 (Plays, 1874). For wherefore rage wives at their husbands so, when they FLY OUT? for zeal against the sin?

48   1665–6.  PEPYS, Diary, 17 Jan. It is to be feared that the Parliament will FLY OUT against him and particular men, the next Session.

49   1712.  Spectator, No. 479. He (Socrates) has said, My dear friend, you are beholden to Xantippe, that I bear so well your FLYING OUT in a dispute.

50   1855.  THACKERAY, The Newcomes, ch. xx. ‘And then the Colonel FLIES OUT about his boy, and says that my wife insulted him!’

51   TO MAKE THE FUR (or FEATHERS) FLY, verb. phr. (common).—To attack effectively; to make a disturbance; to quarrel noisily like two tom cats on the tiles, who are said (in American) to pull fur, or to pull wool.

52   1843.  W. T. PORTER, ed., The Big Bear of Arkansas, etc., p. 132. Thar, they’ve got him agin, and now the FUR FLIES.

53   1888.  Denver Republican, 20 Feb. ‘Wait until the National Committee assembles on February 22,’ said the organizer, ‘and you will see the FUR FLY from the Cleveland hide.’

54   TO TAKE ON THE FLY, verb. phr. (vagrants’).—To beg in the streets; a specific usage of adverbial sense.

55   1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, II., p. 59. The ‘first move’ in his mendicant career was TAKING THEM ON THE FLY, which means meeting the gentry on their walks, and beseeching or at times menacing them till something is given.

56   TO FLY A KITE, verb phr. (common).—To raise money by means of accommodation bills; TO RAISE THE WIND (q.v.).

57   1812.  From an old Dublin Jester. [The story, however, with slight variations, is told of other judges. See Notes and Queries, 6 S. ix., 326–94.] In a case before the Lord Chancellor of Ireland Mr. Curran, on behalf of the suitor, prayed to be relieved from the payment of some bills for which he had not received consideration, but only lent his name as an accommodation. Mr. Curran, in the course of his pleadings, mentioned the terms KITE and RAISING THE WIND several times, when his lordship requested to know the meaning of the words. ‘My lord,’ Mr. Curran replied, ‘in your country (meaning England) the wind generally raises the kite, but with us, significantly looking at the gentlemen of the bar, THE KITE RAISES THE WIND.’

58   1848.  Punch, XIV., p. 226. ‘The Model Gentleman.’ He never does ‘a little discounting’ nor lends his hand to ‘FLYING A KITE.’

59   1834.  ASA GREENE, The Perils of Pearl Street, p. 82. FLYING THE KITE is rather a perilous adventure.

60   1880.  G. R. SIMS, Ballads of Babylon (Little Worries).        You have a KITE you cannot FLY,   And creditors are pressing.

61   1891.  Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 23 Jan. Prince Alexis Soltykoff, who has been FLYING KITES, and getting into trouble thereby, is the only son of Prince Soltykoff, the steward of the Jockey Club.

62   2.  (thieves’).—To go out by the window.

63   3.  (lodging-house).—To evacuate from a window.

64   4.  (colloquial).—To attempt; to set one’s cap at.

65   1863.  H. KINGSLEY, Austin Elliot, ch. xii. ‘They say that you FLEW YOUR KITE at that girl of George Cecil’s who has married that prig, Lord Mewstone.’

66   TO FLY THE BLUE PIGEON, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To steal lead from roofs. See BLUE-PIGEON. Fr., faire la mastar au gras-double, or la faire au mastar.

67   1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

68   1789.  G. PARKER, Life’s Painter. Thieves who FLY THE BLUE PIGEON, that is, who steal lead off houses, or cut pipes away … cut a hundredweight of lead, which they wrap round their bodies next to the skin. This they call a BIBLE (q.v.), and what they steal and put in their pockets, they call a TESTAMENT (q.v.).

69   1887.  Judy, 27 April, p. 200. A burglar whose particular LAY was FLYING the BLUE PIGEON, i.e., stealing lead.

70   TO LET FLY, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To hit out. [From cock-fighting.]

71   1859.  Punch, vol. XXXVII., p. 54. ‘Essence of Parliament.’ Monday, 25 July. Lord Lyndhurst LET FLY and caught him what (if pugilistic terms be not out of place when one is alluding to so pacific a personage) may be designated an extremely neat one on the conk.

72   NOT A FEATHER TO FLY WITH, adv. phr. (common).—Penniless and ruined; DEAD-BROKE (q.v. for synonyms).

73   TO BREAK A FLY ON A WHEEL, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To make a mountain of a molehill. Cf., TO CRACK A NUT WITH A NASMYTH HAMMER = to lavish force or energy.

74   THE FLY ON THE WHEEL, subs. phr. (colloquial).—One who fancies himself of mighty importance. [From the fable.]

75   I DON’T RISE TO THAT FLY, phr. (common) = I don’t believe you; you won’t catch me with such bait as that. [From fly-fishing.]

76   OFF THE FLY, adv. phr. (colloquial).—On the quiet; laid up in dock; doing nothing: said of a strumpet retired from business, or a man (or woman) who has given over the pursuit of pleasure.

77   ON THE FLY, adv. phr. (popular).—1.  Walking the streets; out for a LARK (q.v.); OFF WORK (q.v.); out on the SPREE (q.v.).

78   2.  (thieves’).—In motion: e.g., ‘I got in one ON THE FLY’ = I landed a blow while I was running.

79   1868.  Temple Bar, xxiv., Nov., p. 538. I remember once going along Oxford Street, and I prigged an old woman’s ‘poke’ ON THE ‘FLY.’

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