laws catch flies, but let hornets go free
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Strict laws often fail to punish the powerful, while harassing the weak.
Literally: laws trap small flies, release big hornets
Examples
The new policy proves that laws catch flies, but let hornets go free.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on English Wikiquote “English proverbs” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “laws catch flies, but let hornets go free” mean?
Strict laws often fail to punish the powerful, while harassing the weak. Literally: laws trap small flies, release big hornets
Is “laws catch flies, but let hornets go free” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.