Hoodwinking or fooling?

You cannot deceive someone all the time!

“Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes . I am old, but I am sharp!” grand mom shouted at the sales person who was trying to hoodwink her into buying a fake product at the price of the original.

To pull the wool over somebody’s eyes is an expression which means to deceive or trick someone

So, where did the wool come from?

Let’s dig deeper. This expression was first recorded in America in the 19th century. Wool here is the hair of wigs used in the 19th century, by men, especially by government officials, and judges. The size of the wigs determined the status of the men. Probably, this expression owes its origin to the fact that the wigs frequently slipped over the eyes of the judges as they weren’t made to the measurement of their heads. A clever lawyer might have tricked a judge to believe him and won a case, and then bragged about it by saying that he

pulled the wool over eyes of the judge.

This expression, to pull the wool over somebody’s eyes , is still used today and when one pulls the wool over somebody’s eyes , he or she is deceiving that person.

So, be sharp like your grand mom and don’t let anyone

pull the wool over your eyes !