no flies
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An emphatic addition made to an assertion for the purpose of giving it weight. It really means "no error" or "no mistake." Both of them popular; as, "A jolly fine girl, and NO FLIES!"
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 “no flies” mean?
An emphatic addition made to an assertion for the purpose of giving it weight. It really means "no error" or "no mistake." Both of them popular; as, "A jolly fine girl, and NO FLIES!"
Is “no flies” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.