
IdiomDaily Life
English
on the sly
Meaning: Secretly, so as not to be seen.
Example: “He fed the neighbor's cat on the sly for weeks.”
Origin: "Sly" comes from a Norse word meaning cunning or skillful. The phrase is recorded from the early 19th century.
More English idioms
- small potatoes Something unimportant or trivial.
- a dog's breakfast A complete mess.
- not a peep Not a sound, or not a word from someone.
- get out of hand To become impossible to control.
- fire the starting gun To signal the official start of something.
- come what may Whatever happens.
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