fly on the wall

Idioms and Phrases

An unseen observer or listener, as in I wish I could be a fly on the wall when she tells him she's pregnant . [Mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

Give us some fly on the wall info.

From Los Angeles Times

“But Joey is very reserved, a fly on the wall. She’s an observer. She doesn’t want to be the center of attention. She’s there to do a job and say, ‘bye.’

From Los Angeles Times

So I purposefully wanted to see that in the mouths of the Latino characters, let this conversation unfold and have the audience be a fly on the wall in this home.

From Los Angeles Times

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall when Roberts heard about this casting choice!

From Salon

At 6′7″ tall, Smith knows he's rarely a fly on the wall when he arrives in a community with a camera.

From Scientific American