Browse phrases beginning with: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][J][K][L][M][N][O][P][Q][R][S][T][U,V][W][X,Y,Z] Dropping like fliesMeaning Falling down ill or dead in large numbers. Origin The origin of this phrase isn't known. It is clearly a simple allusion to the transitory and fragile nature of an insect's life. It is known from around the turn of the 20th century. The earliest printed version I have found is in The Atlanta Constitution newspaper, May 1902:
In the early 19th century the Brothers Grimm's published 'The Brave Little Tailor', which is a cautionary fable of a child who easily and thoughtlessly kills numerous flies. It seems that they chose flies as being synonymous with something even a child could kill with little effort. The phrase doesn't appear in that text. |