wool

all wool and a yard wide

Fig. trustworthy and genuinely good. (A description of good quality wool cloth.) Mary's a fine human being—all wool and a yard wide. I won't hear a word against Bill. He's all wool and a yard wide.

See also: and, wide, yard

all wool and no shoddy

Rur. one hundred percent good quality. Everything Mary sells is the best there is, all wool and no shoddy. John's a good man through and through—all wool and no shoddy.

See also: and

curly dirt and house moss; slut's wool

puffs of dirt and dust. How long has it been since you swept under this bed? There's a mountain of curly dirt under here! No one's been in this room for an age. Look at all the cobwebs and curly dirt. She was a terrible housekeeper. House moss collected in all the corners of her rooms.

See also: curly, dirt

dyed-in-the-wool

[of someone] permanent or extreme. My uncle was a dyed-in-the-wool farmer. He wouldn't change for anything. Sally is a dyed-in-the-wool socialist.

pull the wool over someone's eyes

Fig. to deceive someone. You can't pull the wool over my eyes. I know what's going on. Don't try to pull the wool over her eyes. She's too smart.

See also: eye, pull

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dyed-in-the-wool

if you describe someone as dyed-in-the-wool, you mean they have very strong opinions and will not change (always before noun) He's a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist where cooking is concerned - he won't have any modern gadgets in the kitchen.

pull the wool over somebody's eyes

to deceive someone in order to prevent them from knowing what you are really doing Don't let insurance companies pull the wool over your eyes - ask for a list of all the hidden charges.

See also: eye, pull

wrap somebody up in cotton wool  (British & Australian)

to protect someone too much without allowing them to be independent enough She wraps that child up in cotton wool as if he's some precious jewel.

See drape in the flag, twist around little finger

See also: cotton, up, wrap

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pull the wool over somebody's eyes

to deceive someone These people who claim to have paranormal or supernatural powers are just pulling the wool over people's eyes.

See also: eye, pull