fly on the wall

Definition

A quiet, non-participating, or unseen observer; an eavesdropper or witness.

Example Sentences

• "James W. Gerard, ex-Ambassador to Germany, the first speaker of the evening, said that at that moment he would like to be a fly on the wall of the palace at Potsdam to hear what the Potsdam gang were saying about our soldiers."
• "I wish I'd been a little fly on his chamber wall when he found out that he had to go through the Michigan Child Custody Act!"