1857. Snowden, Magistrates’ Assistant, 3rd ed., p. 446. A
policeman; a fly.
Adj. (common).—1. Knowing; artful (q.v.); up to every move; cute. Also
fly to, a-fly, fly to the game, and fly to what’s what. Cf., Awake,
and, for synonyms, see Knowing; fly dog (q.v.).
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, Cheese it, the coves are fly = be
silent, the people understand our discourse.
1823. W. T. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, Act II., Sc. 2. Jerry.
Charlies’ fiddles?—I’m not fly, Doctor. Log. Rattles, Jerry,
rattles! Jerry rattles! you’re fly now, I see.
1838. Glascock, Land Sharks and Sea Gulls, II., 4. That’s right; I
see you’re fly to every fakement.
1850. Lloyd’s Weekly, 3 Feb. ‘Low Lodging Houses of London.’ They
say the fliest is easy to take in sometimes—that’s the artfullest;
but I could do no good there.
1851–61. H. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, vol. I., p. 260. ‘We
were too fly to send anybody to market but ourselves.’
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. xxxv. [Chas. Ravenshoe to
Shoeblack]. ‘On the cross?’ said Charles. ‘Ah,’ the boy said, ‘he
goes out cly-faking and such. He’s a prig, and a smart one, too.
He’s fly, is Harry.’
1876. Miss Braddon, Dead Men’s Shoes, ch. lii. ‘Go and fetch the
cleverest police officer in Liverpool, and let him wait outside
this door till I want him.’ ‘I’m fly,’ answers the youth,
brightening at the prospect of excitement and remuneration. ‘Case
of ’bezzlement, I suppose, Sir?’
1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. ii., p. 125. A certain
prisoner, who was what is termed a very fly man, i.e., a clever,
scheming fellow ... sounded him as to getting tobacco and other
matters.
188(?). Jenny Hill, Broadside Ballad. I’ve cut my wisdom teeth,
some at top, some underneath.... So you needn’t try it on; I’m fly.
1890. Punch, 30 Aug., p. 9. Briggs, Junior, a lobsculler called me;
I wasn’t quite fly to his lay.
1891. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 9 Jan. If you get among a fly
lot, why they’d skin you in less than no time.