English · Proverb Candidate

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.

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 0 all time