fly blind

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Feel one's way, proceed by guesswork, as in There are no directions for assembling this furniture, so I'm flying blind. This hyperbolic expression dates from World War II, when it was used by pilots who could not see the horizon and therefore had to rely on instruments. It was transferred to broader use soon afterward.

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THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.

Question 1 of 8

Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?

The Sunflower State

The Evergreen State

The Magnolia State

The Mockingbird State

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Words nearby fly blind

fly at, flyaway, flyback, fly ball, flybelt, fly blind, fly blister, fly block, flyblow, flyblown, flyboat

Example sentences from the Web for fly blind

Andrew still plans to fly to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum on January 21, representing the British government.
From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man?|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
After some animated debate at the conference, Lelaie declared, with some frustration, “If you push on the stick, you will fly.”
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The numbers reinforce another article in the Post, in which cops confessed to “turning a blind eye” to minor crimes.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Thus it attracted a wave of cowboy operators to fly passengers and cargo between cities.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?|Clive Irving|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Many of these are small operations that would never, in any case, fly beyond Indonesia.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?|Clive Irving|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On May 13 Polavieja arrived in Barcelona physically broken, half blind, and with evident traces of a disordered liver.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
The blind Samson of labor will seize upon the pillars of society and bring them down in a common destruction.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Aristide darted off like a dragon-fly in the sunshine, as happy as a child with a new toy.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
“Confound it, no;” rejoined Mr. Simmery, stopping for an instant to smash a fly with the ruler.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
They must be kept away from flies—a fly can work havoc with a film in a few minutes.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

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