all cry and no wool
A great deal of fuss, noise, fanfare, or protestation over something of little or no substance, importance, or relevance. My opponent has been making outlandish claims about my track record so as to foment distrust in the public, but I assure you, his remarks are all cry and no wool. A: "If Al's upset about something, you know it must be all cry and little wool." B: "You're not wrong—someone took his lunch out of the communal fridge today." Please, do not lose a moment's sleep over these ridiculous allegations—they're all cry and no wool.
all wool and a yard wide
1. Of a person, very honorable. Of course Paul reported the crime he witnessed—he's all wool and a yard wide. I've always known Sara to be all wool and a yard wide, so I'm not surprised she returned the missing wallet. I don't trust that guy. It just doesn't seem like he's all wool and a yard wide, if you know what I mean.
2. Of an object, high quality. That product already broke! It's not all wool and a yard wide, that's for sure. I think you'll be very happy with this mixer. I have one, and it's always been all wool and a yard wide. You can't charge people $200 for a product that isn't all wool and a yard wide!
all wool and no shoddy
1. Of a person, very honorable. Of course Paul reported the crime he witnessed—he's all wool and no shoddy. I've always known Sara to be all wool and no shoddy, so I'm not surprised she returned the missing wallet. I don't trust that guy. It just doesn't seem like he's all wool and no shoddy, if you know what I mean.
2. Of an object, high quality. That product already broke! It's not all wool and no shoddy, that's for sure. I think you'll be very happy with this mixer. I have one, and it's always been all wool and no shoddy You can't charge people $200 for a product that isn't all wool and no shoddy!
curly dirt
Clumps of dust. Please dust this room, and be sure to get the curly dirt that's gathered under the couch. Yikes, when was the last time you vacuumed in here? Look at all that curly dirt! If you're planning to rearrange the furniture, get ready to unearth some curly dirt.
dye in the wool
To stain wool fibers with dye before they are spun into thread, thus making the coloration more permanent. This phrase has led to the idiomatic modifier "dyed-in-the-wool," meaning permanent and or firmly established, such as one's opinions. All of our products are handmade, and we always dye in the wool to ensure that your clothing's color remains vibrant for years to come. A: "My, this yarn is pricey." B: "Well, that company puts out high quality products and is known to dye in the wool." A: "Wow, companies still dye in the wool?" B: "Oh yes, of course. We don't want our colors fading on you over time!"
dyed-in-the-wool
Permanent and or firmly established, such as in one's opinions or beliefs. Good luck getting him to listen to your political views—he's a dyed-in-the-wool liberal. Grandma is a dyed-in-the-wool Catholic and has probably never questioned the church once in her life. Uncle Ned is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, so you'll probably hear him heaping praise on Ronald Reagan before the night is over.
great cry and little wool
A great deal of fuss, noise, fanfare, or protestation over something of little or no substance, importance, or relevance. My opponent has been making outlandish claims about my track record so as to foment distrust in the public, but I assure you, he is offering great cry and little wool. A: "If Al's upset about something, you know it must be great cry and little wool." B: "You're not wrong—someone took his lunch out of the communal fridge today." Please, do not lose a moment's sleep over these ridiculous allegations—they're great cry and no wool.
live in cotton wool
To lead a sheltered life, one devoid of stress and danger. The image here is of being wrapped in cotton and thus protected. Primarily heard in UK. I never realized how much I had been living in cotton wool until I traveled and saw what true poverty looks like.
more cry than wool
A great deal of fuss, noise, fanfare, or protestation over something of little or no substance, importance, or relevance. My opponent has been making outlandish claims about my track record so as to foment distrust in the public, but I assure you, his remarks are more cry than wool.
pull the wool over (one's) eyes
To deceive, fool, or misdirect one, especially to gain an advantage. (Likely an allusion to the once-common practice of men wearing large powdered wigs that resembled lambs' wool.) He tried pulling the wool over our eyes by hiding the profits in separate accounts, but we were quick to catch onto his scheme. Be prepared for your kids to try to pull the wool over your eyes when they're teenagers.
put the wool over (one's) eyes
To deceive, fool, or misdirect one, especially to gain an advantage. (Likely an allusion to the once-common practice of men wearing large powdered wigs that resembled lambs' wool.) He thought he could put the wool over our eyes by hiding the profits in separate accounts, but we were quick to catch onto his scheme. Be prepared—your kids are going to try putting the wool over your eyes when they're teenagers.
wrap (one) up in cotton wool
To be overprotective of one; to coddle one. You need to let the little lad play in the dirt once in a while. If you keep wrapping him up in cotton wool, he'll grow up too soft.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
all wool and a yard wide
Genuine, not a sham. The expression comes from the yard-goods industry, where a seller would claim that a piece of cloth was 100 percent wool and measured fully a yard, in contrast to inferior material and short measures.
dyed in the wool
Thoroughgoing, complete. The term, which dates from at least the sixteenth century, alludes to cloth made from wool that was dyed while raw (before it was spun) instead of being dyed piece by piece. The color therefore was “true” throughout, and this concept was transferred to other kinds of genuineness. “In half an hour he can come out an original democrat, dyed in the wool,” said Daniel Webster in a speech (Feb. 10, 1830). It has been a cliché since the early 1900s.
pull the wool over someone's eyes, to
To hoodwink or deceive someone. This term comes from—and long survives—the custom of wearing a wig (except in the British legal system, where judges and barristers still do so). One writer suggests that it alludes to the slippage of the wig of a judge, who is temporarily blinded by a clever lawyer. In any event, it was used figuratively in a quite general way from the early nineteenth century on, on both sides of the Atlantic. “He ain’t so big a fool as to have the wool drawn over his eyes in that way,” wrote Frances M. Whitcher (The Widow Bedott Papers, 1856).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer