on the fly


In a hurry, on the run, as in I picked up some groceries on the fly. The transfer of this expression, which literally means “in midair or in flight,” dates from the mid-1800s.

Words Nearby on the fly

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

How to use on the fly in a sentence