drop like flies

drop like flies

English

Alternative forms

• drop off like flies

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

drop like flies (third-person singular simple present drops like flies, present participle dropping like flies, simple past and past participle dropped like flies)

1. (simile, of members of a group, especially soldiers) To die en masse, one after the other.
   • 1986, Little Shop of Horrors (1986 film)

     Seymour: Audrey, quick! We've got to do an emergency [flower] arrangement.

     […]

     Mr. Mushnik: The Shivas are our most important funereal account. A big, enormous family, they're dropping off like flies!

Translations

die en masse

Finnish: putoilla kuin kärpäsiä French: tomber comme des mouches (fr) German: wie die Fliegen fallen Polish: padać jak muchy (pl) impf Russian: дохнуть как мухи (doxnutʹ kak muxi) Spanish: caer como moscas