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<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8" content="text/html;charset=utf-8;"> <title data-react-helmet="true" property="og:title">fly-by-night | Etymology of fly-by-night by etymonline</title> <meta data-react-helmet="true" http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" name="theme-color" content="#83001d"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#83001d"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" name="msapplication-TileImage" content="/ms-icon-144x144.png"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" name="description" property="og:description" content="Origin of fly-by-night: 1796, slang, said by Grose to be an old term of reproach to a woman signifying that she was a witch; used from 1 ... 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main--10rAd" data-role="content-main"><div class="ant-row-flex ant-row-flex-space-around"><div class="ant-col-xs-24 ant-col-sm-24 ant-col-md-24 ant-col-lg-17"><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 vertical"><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-pc-wd-top" style="min-width:728px;min-height:90px"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa"><div><div class="" style="position:relative"><h1 title="Origin and meaning of fly-by-night" class="word__name--TTbAA">fly-by-night<!-- --> <!-- -->(n.)</h1><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH"><p>1796, slang, said by Grose to be an old term of reproach to a woman signifying that she was a witch; used from 1823 in reference to anyone who departs hastily from a recent activity, especially while owing money. The different senses involve the two verbs <a href="/word/fly" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of fly " class="crossreference notranslate">fly</a>.</p></section><div class="word__firstRecorded--3lZB8">also from<!-- --> <a rel="nofollow" class="word__firstRecorded_time--28qNE" href="/search?sort=a&q=from:1796">1796</a></div></div></div></div><div class="related--32LCi"><h3 class="h3_title" title="words related to fly-by-night">Entries linking to <i>fly-by-night</i></h3><div class="related__details--2kumU"><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8"><div><a class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of fly" href="/word/fly#etymonline_v_8955">fly<!-- --> <!-- -->(n.1)<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></a><div class="word__etymology_expand--1s7tE"><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined"><div></div><p>Old English <span class="foreign notranslate">fleoge</span> "a fly, winged insect," from Proto-Germanic <span class="foreign notranslate">*fleugon</span> "flying insect" (source also of Old Saxon <span class="foreign notranslate">fleiga</span>, Old Norse <span class="foreign notranslate">fluga</span>, Middle Dutch <span class="foreign notranslate">vlieghe</span>, Dutch <span class="foreign notranslate">vlieg</span>, Old High German <span class="foreign notranslate">flioga</span>, German <span class="foreign notranslate">Fliege</span> "fly"); literally "the flying (insect)" (compare Old English <span class="foreign notranslate">fleogende</span> "flying"), from PIE root <a href="/word/*pleu-" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of *pleu- " rel="nofollow" class="crossreference notranslate">*pleu-</a> "to flow," which is also the source of <a href="/word/fly#etymonline_v_8956" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of fly " class="crossreference notranslate">fly</a> (v.1).</p> <p>Originally any winged insect (moths, gnats, beetles, locusts, hence <a href="/word/butterfly" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of butterfly " class="crossreference notranslate">butterfly</a>, etc.) and long used by farmers and gardeners for any insect parasite. <span class="foreign notranslate">Flies</span> figuratively for "large numbers" of anything is from 1590s. Plural <span class="foreign notranslate">flien</span> (as in <span class="foreign notranslate">oxen</span>, etc.) gradually normalized 13c.-15c. to <span class="foreign notranslate">-s</span>. <strong><span class="foreign notranslate">Fly in the ointment</span></strong> is from Eccles. x:1. <strong><span class="foreign notranslate">Fly on the wall</span></strong> "unseen observer" first recorded 1881. <strong><span class="foreign notranslate">No flies on _____</span></strong> "no lack of activity or alertness on the part of," is attested by 1866. Meaning "fish-hook dressed to resemble an insect" is from 1580s; <strong><span class="foreign notranslate">Fly-fishing</span></strong> is from 1650s. <strong><span class="foreign notranslate">Fly-catcher</span></strong> "bird which eats insects on the wing" is from 1670s. The <strong><span class="foreign notranslate">fly agaric</span></strong> mushroom (1788) so called because it was used as a poison for flies.</p></section></div></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8"><div><a class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of bat" href="/word/bat#etymonline_v_5308">bat<!-- --> <!-- -->(n.2)<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></a><div class="word__etymology_expand--1s7tE"><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined"><div></div><p>flying mouse-like mammal (order <span class="foreign notranslate">Chiroptera</span>), 1570s, a dialectal alteration of Middle English <span class="foreign notranslate">bakke</span> (early 14c.), which is probably related to Old Swedish <span class="foreign notranslate">natbakka</span>, Old Danish <span class="foreign notranslate">nathbakkæ</span> "night bat," and Old Norse <span class="foreign notranslate">leðrblaka</span> "bat," literally "leather flapper," from Proto-Germanic <span class="foreign notranslate">*blak-</span>, from PIE root <span class="foreign notranslate">*bhlag-</span> "to strike" (see <a href="/word/flagellum" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of flagellum " class="crossreference notranslate">flagellum</a>).</p> <p>If so, the original sense of the animal name likely was "flapper." The shift from <span class="foreign notranslate">-k-</span> to <span class="foreign notranslate">-t-</span> may have come through confusion of <span class="foreign notranslate">bakke</span> with Latin <span class="foreign notranslate">blatta</span> "moth, nocturnal insect."</p> <p>The Old English word for the animal was <span class="foreign notranslate">hreremus</span>, from <span class="foreign notranslate">hreran</span> "to shake" (see <a href="/word/rare#etymonline_v_3372" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of rare " class="crossreference notranslate">rare</a> (adj.2)), and <span class="foreign notranslate">rattle-mouse</span>, an old dialectal word for "bat," is attested from late 16c. <span class="foreign notranslate"><strong>Flitter-mouse</strong></span> (1540s) occasionally is used in English (with variants <span class="foreign notranslate">flinder-mouse</span>, <span class="foreign notranslate">flicker-mouse</span>) in imitation of German <span class="foreign notranslate">fledermaus</span> "bat," from Old High German <span class="foreign notranslate">fledaron</span> "to flutter."</p> <p>As a contemptuous term for an old woman, it is perhaps a suggestion of witchcraft (compare <a href="/word/fly-by-night" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of fly-by-night " class="crossreference notranslate">fly-by-night</a>), or from <span class="foreign notranslate">bat</span> as "prostitute who plies her trade by night" [Farmer, who calls it "old slang" and finds French equivalent "night swallow" (<span class="foreign notranslate">hirondelle de nuit</span>) "more poetic"].</p></section></div></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div></div></div><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 vertical" style="margin-top:1em"><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7093273770345366" style="display:block;width:100%" data-ad-slot="8757723469" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins></div><div class="ngram--SmXCf"><h3 class="h3_title" title="Trends of fly-by-night">Trends of <i>fly-by-night</i></h3><div class="ngram__container--NwjaG" style="height:180px"><canvas id="ngram-chart"></canvas></div><div class="ngram__footer--3-9dX">adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.</div></div><div class="related--32LCi"><h3 class="h3_title" title="More to Explore">More to Explore</h3><div class="related__details--2kumU"><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of mosquito" href="/word/mosquito"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">mosquito<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">and draw blood through a piercing and sucking proboscis, 1580s, from Spanish mosquito "little gnat," diminutive of mosca "fly...," from Latin musca "fly," from PIE root *mu- "gnat, fly" (compare Sanskrit maksa-, Greek myia, Old English mycg, Modern...Mosquito-hawk as a name for a kind of dragon-fly which preys on mosquitoes is from 1737....</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of fledge" href="/word/fledge"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">fledge<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">adjective *-flycge (Kentish -flecge; in unfligge "featherless," glossing Latin implumes) "having the feathers developed, fit to fly...," from Proto-Germanic *flugja- "feather" (source also of Middle Dutch vlugge, Low German flügge), from PIE *pluk- "to fly...Meaning "bring up a bird" (until it can fly on its own) is from 1580s. Related: Fledged; fledging....</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of gadfly" href="/word/gadfly"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">gadfly<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">also gad-fly, 1620s, "fly which bites cattle," probably from gad (n.)..."rove about" (on the notion, perhaps, of the insect's power of flight or of the restlessness of animals plagued by them),...Earlier bot-fly, from bot "skin parasite" (late 15c.)....</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of kite" href="/word/kite"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">kite<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">The dismissive invitation to go fly a kite is attested by 1942, American English, probably tracing to the popular song of...the same name (lyrics by Johnny Burke), sung by Bing Crosby in "The Star Maker" (1939): Go fly a kite and tie your troubles...to the tail They'll be blown away by a merry gale, Go fly a kite and toss your worries to the wind And they won't...</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of cantharides" href="/word/cantharides"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">cantharides<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">late 14c., cantaride, type of beetle (the "Spanish fly"), especially as dried, ground up, and used medicinally to raise blisters..., from Latin plural of cantharis, from Greek kantharis "blister-fly, a kind of beetle."...Their use (taken internally) as a sexual stimulant is attested by c. 1600. Related: Cantharic....</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of damsel" href="/word/damsel"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">damsel<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">Anglo-French damaisele and Old French dameisele "woman of noble birth" (Modern French demoiselle "young lady"), modified (by...Archaic until revived by romantic poets, along with 16c.-17c. variant form damozel (which was used by Spenser)....Damsel-fly for "dragon-fly" is by 1815, from a sense in French demoiselle....</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of daddy" href="/word/daddy"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">daddy<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">Slang daddy-o is attested by 1949, from bop talk....Daddy-long-legs is from 1814 in Britain as "crane-fly," a slender, long-legged summer fly....In the U.S., it was used by 1865 as the word for a spider-like arachnid with a small round body and very long, slender legs...A superstition obtains among our cow-boys that if a cow be lost, its whereabouts may be learned by inquiring of the Daddy-Long-legs...</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" data-recommended-type="other_relation" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of debtor" href="/word/debtor"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">debtor<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">c. 1200, dettur, dettour, "one who owes or is indebted to another for goods, money, or services," from Anglo-French detour, Old French detor and directly from Latin debitor "a debter," from past-participle stem of debere "to owe," originally, "keep something away from someone," f</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" data-recommended-type="other_relation" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of shady" href="/word/shady"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">shady<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">1570s, "affording or abounding with shade;" 1590s, "protected by shade, sheltered from glare or heat;" from shade (n.) + -y (2). The meaning "disreputable" (1862) might be from or reinforced by the earlier university-slang sense of "of questionable merit, unreliable" (1848, perha</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" data-recommended-type="complete" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of salvation" href="/word/salvation"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">salvation<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">c. 1200, savacioun, saluatiun, sauvacioun, etc., originally in the Christian sense, "the saving of the soul, deliverance from the power of sin and admission to eternal bliss," from Old French salvaciun and directly from Late Latin salvationem (nominative salvatio, a Church Latin </section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div></div></div><div class="share-tool socialShare--223YS"><h3 title="Share fly-by-night to social networks" class="socialShare__title--34iP2">Share <i>fly-by-night</i></h3><div class="cite--1qJ-_ share-cite">‘<!-- -->cite<!-- -->’</div><a title="Share on Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Fword%2Ffly-by-night" data-social-target="Facebook" target="blank" rel="nofollow" class="fa share socialShare__icon--3FJac socialShare__icon__facebook--2fm3U fa-facebook"></a><a title="Share on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Fword%2Ffly-by-night&text=fly-by-night%20%7C%20Etymology%20of%20fly-by-night%20by%20etymonline" data-social-target="Twitter" target="blank" rel="nofollow" class="fa share socialShare__icon--3FJac socialShare__icon__twitter--1iFxf fa-twitter"></a><a title="Share on Reddit" href="https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Fword%2Ffly-by-night&title=fly-by-night%20%7C%20Etymology%20of%20fly-by-night%20by%20etymonline" data-social-target="Reddit" target="blank" rel="nofollow" class="fa share socialShare__icon--3FJac socialShare__icon__reddit--30bBu fa-reddit"></a><a title="Share on Email" href="mailto:?subject=fly-by-night%20%7C%20Etymology%20of%20fly-by-night%20by%20etymonline&body=Origin%20of%20fly-by-night%3A%201796%2C%20slang%2C%20said%20by%20Grose%20to%20be%20an%20old%20term%20of%20reproach%20to%20a%20woman%20signifying%20that%20she%20was%20a%20witch%3B%20used%20from%201%20...%20See%20more.%0Afrom%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Fword%2Ffly-by-night%20Find%20out%20more%20at%20etymonline.com" data-social-target="Email" target="blank" rel="nofollow" class="fa share socialShare__icon--3FJac socialShare__icon__email--3hVBm fa-email"></a><div class="cite__content--3ghsO cite-content"><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">Page URL:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">https://www.etymonline.com/word/fly-by-night</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">HTML Link:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly=""><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/fly-by-night">Etymology of fly-by-night by etymonline</a></textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">APA style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of fly-by-night. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/fly-by-night</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">Chicago style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">Harper Douglas, “Etymology of fly-by-night,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/fly-by-night.</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">MLA style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of fly-by-night.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/fly-by-night. Accessed $(datetimeMla).</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">IEEE style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">D. Harper. “Etymology of fly-by-night.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/fly-by-night (accessed $(datetime)).</textarea></div></div><p class="wordDetail__date--3r7r8">updated on October 10, 2017</p><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 vertical" style="margin-top:1em"><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7093273770345366" style="display:block;width:100%" data-ad-slot="7656336158" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins></div></div><div class="ant-col-xs-24 ant-col-sm-24 ant-col-md-24 ant-col-lg-6"><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 removeAdsContainer--3mV2b horizontal"><a href="/premium?utm_source=remove_ads"><div class="removeAdsBtn--2W3KN">Remove ads ></div></a><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-pc-wd-right" style="min-width:300px;min-height:250px"></div></div><div class="trending__normal--2eWJF"><h3 class="h3_title">Trending words</h3><ul><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of horse" href="/word/horse">1<!-- -->. <!-- -->horse</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of ego" href="/word/ego">2<!-- -->. <!-- -->ego</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of king" href="/word/king">3<!-- -->. <!-- -->king</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of algebra" href="/word/algebra">4<!-- -->. <!-- -->algebra</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of night" href="/word/night">5<!-- -->. <!-- -->night</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of thank" href="/word/thank">6<!-- -->. <!-- -->thank</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of infantry" href="/word/infantry">7<!-- -->. <!-- -->infantry</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of gospel" href="/word/gospel">8<!-- -->. <!-- -->gospel</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of advent" href="/word/advent">9<!-- -->. <!-- -->advent</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of melancholy" href="/word/melancholy">10<!-- -->. <!-- -->melancholy</a></li></ul></div><div class="alphabetical--2oTZG"><h3 title="words in alphabetical order" class="h3_title">Dictionary entries near <i>fly-by-night</i></h3><a title="Origin and meaning of flutist" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/flutist"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">flutist</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of flutter" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/flutter"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">flutter</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of fluvial" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/fluvial"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">fluvial</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of flux" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/flux"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">flux</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of fly" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/fly"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">fly</p></a><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2 alphabetical__active--FCYcm">fly-by-night</p><a title="Origin and meaning of flyer" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/flyer"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">flyer</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of flying" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/flying"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">flying</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of Flynn" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/Flynn"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">Flynn</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of fly-over" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/fly-over"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">fly-over</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of flypaper" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/flypaper"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">flypaper</p></a></div></div></div></div><div class="alphabet--3sMXd"><ul class="alphabet__inner--2NEtM"><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter A"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=a">A</a></li><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter B"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=b">B</a></li><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter C"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=c">C</a></li><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter D"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=d">D</a></li><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter E"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=e">E</a></li><li 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