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richtx1
richtx1

Apparently, the British authorities spy on their citizens more than most nations do, and are experimenting with "spy in the sky" technology. In a story in today's Guardian, I read:

"Other routine tasks (Local Councils) – surveillance", another document states the drones could be used to combat "fly-posting, fly-tipping, abandoned vehicles, abnormal loads, waste management".

What are "fly-posting" and "fly-tipping"? I lived in the U.S. midwest and know what "cow tipping" is, and I know the British are known for having a simultaneously excessive sentimentality towards animals and a cold-blooded disregard for personal privacy, but c'mon... are they really looking for people playing mean tricks on insects?

Edited by: RichTX1 to add even more snark

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zashibis
zashibis

Not British, but if you add the words "on the" at the beginning of the words, they become immediately guessable (and Wikipedia confirms).

As a drunken freshman, I have dim memories of actually attempting "cow tipping" with predictable results...

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bjd
bjd

Isn't a "tip" in British English a dump? I thought the expression, "It's a real tip in here" means it's a real mess?

So "on the fly-tipping"? Would that be throwing away garbage in places where it is not allowed?

Cow-tipping?

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nutraxfornerves
nutraxfornerves

The FOAK has it
Fly-tipping ("sneaky dumping", "fly dumping", or "dumping on the fly") is a British term for illegally dumping waste somewhere else than in an authorized landfill.

Flyposting is the act of placing advertising posters or flyers in illegal places.

Nutrax
The plural of anecdote is not data.
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vinnyd
vinnyd

The fly-posting thing should be easy to address. You pass a statute making the person or entity whose product is being advertised responsible.

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myanmarbound
myanmarbound

Fly-posting used at least to also be called Bill-sticking and there was a very common notice around British cities "Bill stickers will be prosecuted". Quite often underneath there was a scrawled "Bill stickers is innocent!"

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count_zero
count_zero

The idea of toppling over a fly seems a challenge to even the legendary British inventiveness.

It also reminds me of what is, I've been told, the French idiom for splitting hairs: buggering a fly.

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bjd
bjd

It also reminds me of what is, I've been told, the French idiom for splitting hairs: buggering a fly.

??? You hang around with strange people, Count Zero. The only expression I know is "couper les cheveux en 4".

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count_zero
count_zero

Why not Google it then?

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etcap
etcap

bjd - Count Zero is right. Someone who splits hair might indeed be referred to as an "enculeur de mouche" in some not-so-polite circles. Not that common, though.

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