PhrasesHub

Pull the wool over your eyes

    Definitions

      • deceive or trick
        To intentionally deceive or trick someone by hiding the truth or true intentions

      • hide something
        To conceal or keep something secret from someone, especially in order to deceive them

    Examples of Pull the wool over your eyes

    • Sarah convinced her boss that the project was going to cost much less than it actually would, by presenting false budget estimates. She was able to "pull the wool over his eyes" and secure the project for her team.

      "Pulling the wool over someone's eyes" is a figurative expression that means to deceive someone, typically by presenting false or misleading information. In Sarah's case, she was able to create a false impression by presenting inaccurate budget estimates, allowing her to secure the project for her team. The expression "pulling the wool over someone's eyes" comes from the traditional practice of hiding something behind a thick blanket of sheep's wool, making it difficult to see what is really there. By using this expression, Sarah was able to convey that she had successfully hidden the true cost of the project from her boss, allowing her team to benefit.

    • The salesperson tried to pull the wool over my eyes by claiming that the product was still in stock when in fact it was out of stock.

      This idiom means to deceive or trick someone by making them believe something that is not true. In this example, the salesperson is trying to pretend that the product is still available, even though it has actually run out, in order to make a sale. By "pulling the wool over my eyes," the salesperson is trying to mislead me and make me think that the product is still available, when in reality, I should be able to see that it is not.

    • Jack tried to convince Sarah that his lottery ticket was a million-dollar winner, but she wasn't fooled. He was trying to pull the wool over her eyes.

      This idiom is used to describe someone attempting to deceive or manipulate another person by presenting false information or a false impression. It comes from the practice of shearing sheep by pulling a woolen blanket over their eyes, making them unable to see and resist the process.

    • The salesman claimed that the car had only a few thousand miles on the odometer, but Jim suspected that the meter had been rolled back. He didn't want to be pulled the wool over his eyes.

      This example illustrates the use of the idiom in a situation where someone is trying to make a false statement or representation appear to be true. By rolling back the odometer reading, the salesman was trying to make the car appear to have lower mileage than it actually had, in order to make it more attractive to potential buyers.

    • The politician made grand promises about improving education and reducing taxes, but few people believed him. They weren't falling for his attempts to pull the wool over their eyes.

      This example highlights the use of the idiom in a political context, in which candidates often make exaggerated or unrealistic promises in order to win over voters. The phrase "falling for" indicates that the people in this example were not easily deceived or manipulated, and were able to see through the politician's false claims.

    • The con artist tried to persuade the old lady to invest her life savings in his phony scheme, promising her huge returns and luxurious vacations. But the police caught him before he could pull the wool over her eyes.

      This example demonstrates the use of the idiom in a situation where someone is attempting to defraud or scam another person. The con artist was attempting to persuade the old lady to make a foolish or unwise investment, in order to take advantage of her trust and greed. Fortunately, the police intervened before she could fall prey to his deception.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "pull the wool over your eyes" is commonly used to describe the act of deceiving or tricking someone by hiding the truth. It can also be used to convey the idea of hiding something from someone in order to deceive them. In both cases, the intention is to mislead or manipulate someone by obscuring the reality of a situation.

    This idiom is often used in informal conversations or written texts to emphasize the act of being misled or deceived. It can be used to caution someone to be wary of potential deception or to express frustration at realizing that one has been deceived.

    Origin of "Pull the wool over your eyes"

    The origin of the idiom "pull the wool over your eyes" can be traced back to the 17th century, when the phrase "to pull the wool over one's eyes" was first used in English literature. The expression is believed to have originated from the practice of pulling a woolen hat down over someone's eyes in order to blindfold them and prevent them from seeing the truth.

    Over time, the idiom evolved to convey the idea of intentionally deceiving or tricking someone by obscuring the truth. The use of "wool" in the idiom is symbolic of the act of covering or hiding something, and "eyes" represents the ability to see or perceive the truth. The idiom has since become a widely used phrase to describe the act of deceiving or tricking someone by concealing the truth.