Know Your English (Mar 2001)

Know your English

What is the meaning and origin of "flea market"?

If a fish market is a place where you go to buy fish, then a ``flea market'' should be a place where you go to buy fleas! Makes sense, doesn't it? Luckily this is not the case. Nobody has become desperate enough to buy fleas. The expression ``flea market'' was originally used to refer to a place where second- hand goods were sold. In order for a place to be called a ``flea market'', the goods sold had to be 'second hand' and they had to be sold outdoors - out in the open air, not indoors. The assumption being that the second hand goods would attract not only customers, but also fleas! Nowadays, a flea market does not necessarily have to sell only second hand goods; nor does it have to sell its products out in the open air. We have indoor flea markets as well.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, March 20, 2001