| 释义 |
fly-by-night
fly-by-night (flī′bī-nīt′) Informal adj.1. Unreliable or unscrupulous, especially with regard to business dealings: "some fly-by-night startup that was halfway to shutting down" (Douglas Edwards).2. Of an impermanent or insubstantial nature: fly-by-night fashions in clothing.n. also fly-by-night·er (-nī′tər)1. An unreliable or unscrupulous person.2. One, such as a company, that is short-lived and therefore unreliable.fly-by-night adj 1. unreliable or untrustworthy, esp in finance 2. brief; impermanent n 3. an untrustworthy person, esp one who departs secretly or by night to avoid paying debts 4. a person who goes out at night to places of entertainment fly′-by-night`
adj. 1. not reliable or well established, esp. in business, and primarily interested in making a quick profit: a fly-by-night operation. 2. not lasting; impermanent; transitory. n. 3. a debtor who attempts to evade creditors. 4. a fly-by-night person or business. Also, fly′-by-night′er.[1790–1800]fly-by-night - Said to be an old term of reproach to a woman signifying that she was a witch, and was extended to "anyone who departs hastily from a recent activity," especially while owing money.See also related terms for witch.Thesaurus| Noun | 1. | fly-by-night - a debtor who flees to avoid payingdebitor, debtor - a person who owes a creditor; someone who has the obligation of paying a debt | | Adj. | 1. | fly-by-night - (of businesses and businessmen) unscrupulous; "a shady operation"shadyuntrustworthy, untrusty - not worthy of trust or belief; "an untrustworthy person" | | 2. | fly-by-night - ephemeral; "the symphony is no fly-by-night venture"impermanent, temporary - not permanent; not lasting; "politics is an impermanent factor of life"- James Thurber; "impermanent palm cottages"; "a temperary arrangement"; "temporary housing" |
fly-by-nightadjective (Informal) unreliable, cowboy (informal), dubious, questionable, shady, untrustworthy, undependable fly-by-night operators who do shoddy workTranslationsfly-by-night
fly-by-nightIrresponsible (as if one is apt to flee unexpectedly). He struck me as a fly-by-night worker, so I was shocked when he came back the next day to finish the job.fly-by-nightFig. irresponsible; untrustworthy. (Alludes to a person who sneaks away secretly in the night.) The carpenter we hired was a fly-by-night worker who did a very bad job. You shouldn't deal with a fly-by-night merchant.fly-by-night mod. undependable; dishonest. Sam seems like such a fly-by-night character. fly-by-nightAn unreliable or irresponsible individual, particularly one not to be trusted in business dealings. Originating in the late eighteenth century to describe a person who evades creditors by sneaking away at night, this expression is now used both as a noun and as an adjective. However, according to Francis Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1796), the term was also once a derogatory name for an old woman accused of being a witch (flying at night). Much later it became British slang for a prostitute (who worked mostly at night), and by extension, a prostitute’s vagina.fly-by-night
Synonyms for fly-by-nightadj unreliableSynonyms- unreliable
- cowboy
- dubious
- questionable
- shady
- untrustworthy
- undependable
Synonyms for fly-by-nightnoun a debtor who flees to avoid payingRelated Wordsadj (of businesses and businessmen) unscrupulousSynonymsRelated Wordsadj ephemeralRelated Words |