throw dust in someone's eyes
Meaning: To mislead someone by distracting them.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The glossy brochure was meant to throw dust in the buyers' eyes.”
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: A real trick in fighting: a handful of dust blinds an opponent for a moment. The figurative phrase is found in English from the 16th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Russian: пускать пыль в глаза (puskat' pyl' v glaza) — literally: throw dust in eyes
More idioms — Body & Senses
- up to one's ears in debt — Deeply in debt.
- hand on heart — Said when swearing that something is completely true.
- you'll live — Said to someone making a fuss over a small injury or setback.
- with an iron fist — With harsh, absolute control.
- all brawn and no brain — Physically strong but not clever.
- until one is blue in the face — For as long as one likes, with no result.
More English idioms
- when pigs fly — Never.
- mark my words — Remember what I am telling you; it will turn out to be true.
- lead someone up the garden path — To deceive someone, keeping them hopeful along the way.
- packed like sardines — Crowded very tightly together.
- give someone the runaround — To put someone off with excuses instead of a straight answer.
- pin the blame on someone — To make someone take responsibility for a fault, often unfairly.
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