What is the origin of dropping like flies?

The origin of the expression ‘dropping like flies’ isn’t known for certain, although it is a clear allusion to the short-lived life an insect leads. An early printed version comes from a May 1902 edition of the Atlanta Constitution: “I saw men and women rushing back and forth within the flames.

What does it mean when flies drop?

Rapidly collapse, die, or drop out, usually referring to a group rather than an individual. For example, The words were so difficult that the spelling bee contestants were dropping like flies. The simile like flies has meant “in large numbers,” as it does in this expression, since about 1600.

What does smells like hotcakes mean?

to dispose of something very quickly and with little effort. to sell or get rid of large quantities of something very easily.

What does take a cue mean?

Definition of take a/one’s cue from : to do what is done or suggested by (someone or something) Take a cue from the experts and get your taxes done early this year. We should take our cue from their example.

Where does the saying Dropping Like Flies come from?

Origin Of ‘Dropping Like Flies’. The origin of the phrase ‘dropping like flies’ is unclear. However, it sounds like it may come from either the short life-span of a fly, or the fragile life that they have.

Where did the saying men and women dropped like flies and flames come from?

An early recording of this phrase is written in an article fromThe Atlanta Constitution newspaper, printed in 1902, under the subheading “Men and Women Dropped Like Flies and Flames,” and it reads: “I saw women and men rushing back and forth amid the flames for an hour.

Why do people drop the ball like flies?

It can also be because people lose interest in a certain activity and thus they stop doing it. Example: When this new racing game released, there were thousands of players playing it online. But now, weeks later, the number of players has decreased by a lot; they aredropping like flies.

Why are witches supposed to fly on a broom?

In the two drawings, one woman soars through the air on a broom; the other flies aboard a plain white stick. Both wear head scarves that identify them as Waldensians, members of a Christian sect founded in the 12th century who were branded as heretics by the Catholic Church, partly because they allowed women to become priests.