# no flies on

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/no-flies-on
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

No mental weaknesses, character defects, or other significant flaws belonging to.

## Examples

- There are no flies on her when it comes to math.
- There are no flies on you today.
- There are no flies on them during the game.
- You cannot trick him with a fake offer because there are no flies on him.
- The mechanic fixed the engine in minutes because there are no flies on her when she looks at a broken car.
- You should be careful during the negotiation because there are no flies on the lawyer representing the other side.
- The store owner noticed the counterfeit bill immediately because there are no flies on him when he handles cash at the register.
- Despite his unassuming appearance, there are no flies on the new manager, who quickly identified the systemic inefficiencies within the department.

## Origin

A nineteenth-century litotes from the observation that a person of sufficient activity and mental alertness does not remain stationary long enough for flies to settle upon them. The expression suggests the absence of the torpor required for an insect to consider a human a convenient landing site.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.