To frighten or scare someone; to startle or terrify (Scottish and Northern English dialect).
From Old English flean or flēon, originally meaning 'to flee.' Over time, it evolved to mean 'to frighten' in Scottish and Northern dialects, likely influenced by association with the state of being fleeing.
This beautiful old word survives mostly in Scottish English, where a 'fley' can scare you so badly you actually do flee—the word and action are still spiritually connected!
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