fly-boys
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Men employed to clear the printed copies from the Hoe machines, on which daily papers are "worked." So called to distinguish them from the "machine boys," a superior grade of labourers who "lay on" the sheets.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “fly-boys” mean?
Men employed to clear the printed copies from the Hoe machines, on which daily papers are "worked." So called to distinguish them from the "machine boys," a superior grade of labourers who "lay on" the sheets.
Is “fly-boys” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.