pull the wool over somebody's eyes

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 of 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.See also: eye, over, pull, wool

pull the ˈwool over somebody’s eyes

(informal) deceive somebody; hide the truth from somebody: It’s no use you trying to pull the wool over my eyes; you didn’t go to school again today, didn’t you? OPPOSITE: open your/somebody’s eyes (to something)This idiom may refer to a time in the past when judges and other important people wore wigs made of wool. If somebody pulled the wig over their eyes, they were not be able to see what was happening.See also: eye, over, pull, wool