fly-by-night

[flahy-bahy-nahyt] /ˈflaɪ baɪˌnaɪt/
adjective
1.
not reliable or responsible, especially in business; untrustworthy:
a fly-by-night operation.
2.
not lasting; brief; impermanent; transitory:
a fly-by-night theater.
noun, Also, fly-by-nighter
3.
a person or thing that is unreliable, especially a debtor who evades or attempts to evade creditors.
4.
a person regarded as a poor credit risk.
Origin
1790-1800
Examples from the web for fly-by-night
  • To restore confidence, hedge funds have tried to shed their reputation for being fly-by-night operations.
  • The result is a fly-by-night operation based on guesses, rather than knowledgeable decisions.
  • Not to mention fly-by-night operations dumping unsafe products for a quick profit and heading for the hills.
  • We're not talking about some fly-by-night operation either.
  • That's because many fly-by-night ring-tone suppliers are not paying.
  • No fly-by-night fads, they abounded at decorator show houses and antiques shows.
  • The other is insecure, fearlessly individualistic and fly-by-night.
  • Check his place of business to see that he is not a fly-by-night operator.
  • Scam artists are fairly rare within the air conditioning industry and tend to be focused on fly-by-night operations.
  • They often are fly-by-night operations that can pack and move quickly from place to place, sometimes across state lines.
British Dictionary definitions for fly-by-night

fly-by-night

adjective
1.
unreliable or untrustworthy, esp in finance
2.
brief; impermanent
noun
3.
an untrustworthy person, esp one who departs secretly or by night to avoid paying debts
4.
a person who goes out at night to places of entertainment
Word Origin and History for fly-by-night
n.

1796, slang, said to be an old term of reproach to a woman signifying that she was a witch; extended 1823 to "anyone who departs hastily from a recent activity," especially while owing money. The two senses involve the two verbs fly.

fly-by-night in Culture

fly-by-night definition


Shady or untrustworthy: “Before buying stock in a newly formed company, the prudent investor will check its owners' credentials to make sure it's not a fly-by-night operation.”

Slang definitions & phrases for fly-by-night

fly-by-night

adjective

Undependable and dishonest: fly-bynight correspondence school