Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
pull the wool over your eyes

pull the wool over your eyes English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Sep 03 2009

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

“It seems like I’m gonna have to pull the wool over Mason’s eyes if I want any of that soda pop.”

- Jason on trying to quench his thirst.

2. Video - Watch the video before learning the definition.

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

to trick, deceive

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

If you trick or deceive someone, you have to make sure he or she isn’t able to see the truth.

Anytime you lie to someone to get what you want, you pull the wool over their eyes so they won’t see what you’re doing. Someone who has had the wool pulled over his or her eyes can’t see what see what’s real and is blinded by lies.

In today’s episode of EXTREME English, baby! Jason asks Mason for some of his soda and Mason says he can’t have any. So Jason ties a wool sweater around Mason’s head and takes some!

This might seem like a crude representation of the idiom, pull the wool over your eyes, and, well, it is. But it’s actually very similar to the origin of the phrase. In the 18th and 19th centuries, important men wore wigs on their heads made of wool. If you wanted to fool one of them, you could pull his wig down over his face! It wasn’t too long before pull the wool over your eyes came to have the same meaning it does today.

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

“Don’t think you can pull the wool over my eyes. I know what you’re up to.”

“He totally pulled the wool over my eyes. I trusted him and he took all my money.”

“Don’t let her pull the wool over your eyes. She doesn’t value you. She’s only using you.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

VOLTS when you pull the wool over one's eyes you lie to someone to get what you want.
by VOLTSSuper Member!
tianyq0709 it means cheat someone
by tianyq0709
getnikku to deceive someone in order to prevent them from knowing what you are really doing.
by getnikku
Gellerke bamboozle, lead by nose
by Gellerke
Sezai to deceive, to hoodwink
by Sezai
sofree hoodwink to cover one's true motives.
by sofree

Want to guess next week's slang?

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Comments

Log in to Comment

whitemoney1504

Viet Nam

ha…

it's funny..

04:55 AM Sep 05 2009 |

Besarta

Albania

It was interesting lesson for tonight, i enyoed it but I wouldnt like this things to happen me. hahahhah

However somtimes is atractive when friend want to take anything from you and they make such an unordinary things.

08:06 PM Sep 03 2009 |

btocb

Germany

well, it was a cheesy scene… but usefull (I think)

 c U

04:33 PM Sep 03 2009 |

almoo

Saudi Arabia

thanks

04:26 PM Sep 03 2009 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

nice slang !!!!!

 ASKO !!!!

 

02:55 PM Sep 03 2009 |

wavedog

wavedog

China

thanx,a good lesson

01:00 PM Sep 03 2009 |

manikhan082

Pakistan

try to know about the truth

12:54 PM Sep 03 2009 |

pan-panich

pan-panichSuper Member!

Russian Federation

really intelligible explanationLaughing

thanks

12:29 PM Sep 03 2009 |

chinavictor

China

Blind

10:27 AM Sep 03 2009 |

reeze

reeze

Uzbekistan

Really nowadays many people live by pulling the wool over our eyes,it's a pity but it became a normal thing…

09:49 AM Sep 03 2009 |

TAYKATZZ

TAYKATZZ

Germany

would like to exchange friends around the world. I like to make friends. Gossip or you wrote to me. This is my msn: .

07:17 AM Sep 03 2009 |

luosijie203

Taiwan

it's a very interesting slang.I think salesperson likely do that, and so do governor, and in china governors are good at deceiving people, for instance when some corruption happen, the government tell us the reason which is very absurd and unbelievable.

06:49 AM Sep 03 2009 |

sliena

sliena

China

I hate someone who pulls the wool over other's eyes!!Everyone born to kindly and inncocent…and never want to hurt someday! but for benefits and money, sex desire ,ect….there are many people like to pull the wool over other's eyes!

 

06:46 AM Sep 03 2009 |

n9gurlz

n9gurlz

Malaysia

can i ask smthg?

what the advantages at this website??

02:54 AM Sep 03 2009 |

Yumum

Yumum

China

what a pity, got no sound card.

02:50 AM Sep 03 2009 |

emmashow1280

China

love pull the wool over my eyes. i try to through it every day

01:54 AM Sep 03 2009 |

Hengbo shi

Hengbo shi

China

joke to cheat ,hookwink

01:38 AM Sep 03 2009 |

sukya

sukya

China

hehe…interesting vedio!!!

i guess everyone was ever pulled the wool over our eyes by others !right?

12:34 AM Sep 03 2009 |

Likes (33):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast