A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

Flying Dutchman, the • Flying Scotchman, the
Flying Dutchman, the —
1
. a ghost ship supposed to be seen
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Flying Dutchman, the

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in the region of the Cape of Good Hope: This book is devoted
to the legend of The Flying Dutchman and its captain. 2. an
express train running between London and Bristol: “The Fly-
ing Dutchman” express train was the fastest train in the world
in the 
1
870s.
Flying Scotchman, the —(also: Flying Scotsman, the) an ex -
press train running between London and Edinburgh: This
train (significantly named “The Flying Scotchman”) is believed
to be the fastest train in the world.
flying horse • flying mare
flying horse —
1
. hippogriff (a mythical animal having the
foreparts of a winged griffin and the body of a horse): Harry Pot-
ter has to overcome the trauma of having a Hippogriff (Flying
Horse) destroyed by the authorities. 2. the constellation Pega-
sus: Pegasus the Flying Horse is a fall constellation, not resem-
bling a horse as much as it does a flying brick. 3. (Wrestling )
maneuver in which the contestant seizes an opponent’s wrist,
turns about, and jerks him over his back: They get advice on
suitable clothing when wrestling and instruction on moves
such as “The Flying Horse.”
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase flying sea-horse—(also: sea-horse) fish of peculiar form,
with body somewhat like a horse’s head: They have at times been
classified with other groups of fish. These strange looking crea-
tures are also known as “flying sea horses.”
flying mare — = flying horse 3: Many worked stones survive
as relics; they include statue bases with the reliefs of wrestlers
(one attempting the “flying mare” throw).