ppl. a. [f. FLY sb.1 + BLOWN ppl. a.]
1. Full of fly-blows; tainted, putrid, impure.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 138.
| In the skalldinge dogg dayes the best venery soone decayes. | |
| Flyblowen nor tayntid fleshe comm not in my messe. |
1612. Webster, White Devil, V. iii.
| Gas. And stink | |
| Like a dead fly-blown dog. |
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., iv. 137. I understand it no otherwise, than that the Manna was fly-blown.
1781. Cowper, Convers., 675.
| Tis such a light as putrefaction breeds | |
| In fly-blown flesh, whereon the maggot feeds. |
fig. a. 1529. Skelton, Replyc., Wks. 1862, II. 234. Agaynst whiche erronyous errours, odyous, orgulyous, and flyblowen opynions, &c.,… I purpose for to reply.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Pernass., III. iv. 1412. His fliblowne [ed. 1606 (Arb., p. 46) fliblow] sonnettes.
1692. E. Walker, Epictetus’ Mor., xxxi.
| These are the means by which he stands possess’d | |
| Of favours, by each Fly-blown Fool caress’d. |
1860. Thackeray, Lovel, i. Wherever fly-blown reputations were assembled, and dowagers with damaged titles trod over each other for the pas.
2. slang. a. Intoxicated, drunk. b. Australian. ‘Cleaned-out’; without a penny.
1877. Judy, 18 May, 236 (Farmer). The officer assisted the pastor out, and hinted that he was slightly ‘flyblown.’
1889. Star, 3 Jan. (Farmer). Our diggers go into Castlemaine to get their hair cut, and once there, they get on the spree and come back fly-blown.
