Definition of "water-fly" [water-fly]

• Some winged aquatic insect; specifically, a member of the family Perlidæ; a stone-fly. (noun)
• A source of petty annoy ance; an insignificant but troublesome person or tiling. (noun)

The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)

• "V. ii.84 (329,2) Dost know this water-fly] A _water-fly_, skips up and down upon the surface of the water, without any apparent purpose or reason, and is thence the proper emblem of a busy trifler."
• "It's been goddamn disgusting to watch these gossip columnists and bloggers, these small-minded, heavily made-up wanna-bes, these supercilious, groveling, shiv-pulling, water-fly parasites on popular culture, do their maggoty worse on an artist who's done more for humanity in 10 seconds of acting than they will ever do in their entire lives."
• "His head spun round like a water-fly, and out of the range of Dicky's pistol he shrieked to the crowd on the shore."