Fly [flai]
Clever, quick-witted, open-minded, and bold.
In tune with the latest trends in urban fashion and lifestyle.
Physically attractive.
Origin:
In African-American English, as a slang adjective, fly originated in the 1980s of the 20th century and was widely used until the beginning of the 21st century.
It means for a person to act in accordance with the values and expectations of urban life among Black people and to be capable of handling the challenges of the street on their own.
As a slang expression in English generally, fly dates from much earlier, but not in the context of lifestyle in African-American ghettos in the USA.
Meaning from the English-Bulgarian Dictionary:
Fly [flai]
To fly, to move through the air.
Examples:
'Hello, Willie!' says Myra. 'What are you doing to yourself in the glass?' 'I'm trying to look fly,' says Willie. 'Well, you never could be fly,' says Myra, with her special laugh...'
O. Henry, 'The Moment of Victory', 1910
The Kappas always dress fly.
Yo that dude was pretty fly.
That girl was mad fly.
Conversational English with British teachers – 14 hours per week, is part of our courses.
Learn English from home at a time convenient for you:
The Kabinata Learning System;- Video recordings from our system;
- Teacher reviews and testimonials;
- Free word learning tool;
- English through 'I Can Do More'.