phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Fly-swept

Posted by Victoria S Dennis on September 15, 2005

In Reply to: Fly-swept posted by Shae on September 13, 2005

: : What is the meanin of "fly-swept"

: It describes a place that is so derelict that even flies, having investigated, can find nothing of interest.

Are you sure this isn't a mistake for "fly-blown"? Fly-blows are the eggs of flies, so "fly-blown" literally means "tainted by flies", and more figuratively "squalid, run-down, dirty", as in "a fly-blown bar" or "a fly-blown village".

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.