Not hurt a fly or flea

Meaning

The idiom "not hurt a fly or flea" means not causing any harm to anyone or anything, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. It can also mean being very careful and cautious in one's actions, so as not to harm anyone.

Usage

• The surgeon was very skilled; she didn't hurt a fly during the surgery.
• Despite being very new to driving, the teenager managed to avoid hitting anything or anyone on the road.
• The farmer took great care in tending to his crops, ensuring that not a single flea would harm them.
• The scientist was extremely meticulous in her experiments, making sure not to hurt any flies during her research.
• The CEO of the company made sure that all employees were treated fairly and kindly, so that no one felt like they were being mistreated or "hurt a fly".

Roots and History

The idiom "not hurt a fly" dates back to at least the 17th century, with its earliest known use appearing in John Heywood's book "A Dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue" in 1546. The phrase was originally used to describe someone who was very cautious and careful, as if they would not harm even a fly. Over time, the idiom evolved to include the phrase "or flea", which emphasizes the idea of being extremely careful and avoiding any harm at all, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.

Synonyms in English

• Not harm a hair on their head
• Not lift a finger
• Don't break a sweat
• Easy as pie
• A piece of cake

Synonyms in other languages

• ¡No lastima nada ni nadie! (Spanish) - This literal translation means "not hurt anything or anyone!" and is commonly used in Spanish-speaking countries.
• הים מזוכן לחתל בנרא עד מטון רבן שלום אליסמיר בנריה עד שנים מגיללה עמים מזוכן לחתל בנרא עד מטון רבן שלום אליסמיר בנריה עד (Hebrew) - This idiom is used in Hebrew to describe someone who is very cautious and careful, as if they would not harm even a fly.
• 無礙為人（人物）（生物）（物品）（事業）（刑事案件）（職場險殘事件）（司法侵害）等（）(Chinese) - This idiom is used in Chinese to describe someone who is very cautious and careful, as if they would not harm even a fly. It can be translated literally to "to leave no trace for people" or figuratively to "to avoid any harm at all".
• لا يزدون مبركف (Arabic) - This idiom is used in Arabic to describe someone who is very cautious and careful, as if they would not harm even a fly. It can be translated literally to "he does not break his back" or figuratively to "he avoids any harm at all".
• ליתו מוחנא כזהורה בן פרעבן שהים מיוקדן לדרך כילובס בהים מיוקדן לדרך כרעות אתם לנפשה כשם אחד ואחד (Hebrew) - This idiom is used in Hebrew to describe someone who is very cautious and careful, as if they would not harm even a fly. It can be translated literally to "he does not break his back" or figuratively to "he avoids any harm at all".

Similar Idioms

• nail biter

• never say die

• not have a clue