[Idiom] FLY BY NIGHT. - Spotting Unreliable Deals and People in Professional Settings

unreliable or untrustworthy

'Fly by night' captures the notion of a transient or elusive situation, much like a nocturnal bird or bat fleeting in and out of sight. In common usage, it refers to businesses or individuals that appear unreliable or untrustworthy, often those new and untested with the potential to disappear or fail unexpectedly. It is a caution against entities that offer deals that seem too good to be true, suggesting they might not be around long enough to honor promises or commitments.

Example Sentences

1. That fly by night company vanished overnight.

   That unreliable company disappeared very quickly.

2. He warned against signing up with fly by night operations.

   He advised against associating with unreliable companies.

3. You need to avoid these fly by night businesses.

   You should avoid these untrustworthy businesses.