Word Play: Flies That Zip Or Flies That Fly?

The word "fly" is a homograph.the ones that are musical with their varying droning
Homographs are words that are spelled the same butpitches of incessant buzzing. The flight of the flies
have different meanings and different origins. Forusually takes place on a hot summer night around 2
example, there is the fly on your pants, referred toa.m. waking me from a sound sleep. At that point, I
as a zipper, and that pesky winged insect thatam usually up looking for the fly swatter (no, I'm not
makes annoying buzzing sounds.Why is it that thegoing to swat zippers) so that I can squash that
only time I forget to zip up my pants is when I'mintolerable noise. It turns out, this summer, I didn't
trying to impress a potential client? It always happensneed a fly swatter after all. When a fly landed on
when I'm rushed for time and is only noticed when Ime, it bit me. The poor thing dropped over dead on
see people staring at the area below my waistthe floor. It must have been that jalapeno pepper I
where polite people don't usually stare. When I lookhad with dinner.Have fun with words. Just remember,
down to see what people are looking at, I noticekeep your fly zipped, and learn to enjoy jalapeno
part of my shirttail poking out the front of my slacks.peppers because I've discovered that they kill the
Usually clients have a sense of humor and laugh moreother kind...flies that is.Copyright © 2005 by
at the color of my face (which by now is crimsonPamela Beers. All rights reserved.Pamela Beers is a
from embarrassment) than at the unzipped fly.Thefreelance writer, and educator who is a platinum
other fly is that pesky winged critter that makesezine article expert. You may visit her website at for
annoying whirring, humming sounds until it lands. I likewriting and marketing tips.