have the wool pulled over your eyes
Meaning: to be deceived or fooled.
Language: English
Literally: to have wool pulled over your eyes
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: The highwayman-with-a-blanket story is unsupported; more plausibly from powdered wigs (wool-like) pulled down over the eyes. True origin uncertain.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Tomber dans le panneau — literally: To fall into the panel
More idioms — Body & Senses
- lower your guard — to relax defenses; to become vulnerable.
- fit as a fiddle — in excellent physical condition; healthy.
- keep your chin up — to remain optimistic; to stay courageous during difficulty.
- pitter-patter of little feet — the sound of children running; anticipation of having babies.
- be in someone's shoes — to understand someone's perspective; to experience their situation.
- white as a sheet — extremely pale; shocked or frightened.
More English idioms
- not worth your salt — incompetent; not deserving of wages or respect.
- get your ducks in a row — to organize yourself; to prepare systematically.
- in a pig's eye — absolutely not; never; expressing strong disagreement.
- stick your oar in — to interfere in someone else's affairs; to meddle.
- bring home the bacon — to provide income; to succeed in earning money.
- like a fish out of water — uncomfortable or awkward in a situation; out of one's element.
From our proverbs
- It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop — Progress at any pace is still progress; what matters is persisting, not speed.
- Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance — Long-term persistence is more powerful than raw ability or brute force.
- You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great — Greatness is not a prerequisite for beginning; beginning is the path to greatness.