on the fiddle
Related to on the fiddle: second fiddle, fiddle around
on the fiddle
Engaged in deceitful, fraudulent, or dishonest means of obtaining money. My career will be over if anyone ever finds out I was on the fiddle during my time as the company treasurer. There are always politicians on the fiddle, looking for ways to use their positions of power to earn a bit more money.
See also: fiddle, on
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
on the fiddle
BRITISH, INFORMALIf someone is on the fiddle, they get money by doing illegal or dishonest things. `If he's not on the fiddle, he's the only builder I know that isn't,' I said. So many politicians were found to be on the fiddle.
See also: fiddle, on
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
on the fiddle
engaged in cheating or swindling. informalFiddle was late 19th-century US slang for a ‘swindle’.
See also: fiddle, on
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
on the ˈfiddle
(British English, informal) getting money by doing dishonest things, usually at work, for example stealing from your employer, making false claims for expenses, etc: He was on the fiddle for years and his boss never suspected a thing.See also: fiddle, on
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
- be on the fiddle
- steal (one) blind
- steal someone blind
- rob (one) blind
- rob blind
- rob somebody blind
- rob someone blind
- bloodsucker
- forked tongue
- accept a wooden nickel