Page Description
Uncover the tactics used to mislead and deceive, exploring how ‘throwing dust in someone’s eyes’ obscures truth and manipulates perceptions.
Throw Dust in Someone’s Eyes – An Expression of Deception
The phrase “to throw dust in someone’s eyes” means to deliberately mislead, deceive, or distract someone in order to hide the truth. It evokes the image of someone clouding another’s vision—figuratively preventing them from seeing clearly.
Often used in political, legal, or personal contexts, the expression points to a tactic where confusion is created on purpose, drawing attention away from wrongdoing, failure, or inconvenient facts. This page explores the meaning, usage, and implications of this powerful metaphor.
Iemand zand in de ogen strooien – Een uitdrukking van misleiding
De uitdrukking “iemand zand in de ogen strooien” betekent dat je iemand opzettelijk misleidt, bedriegt of afleidt om de waarheid te verbergen. Het roept het beeld op van iemand die het zicht van een ander vertroebelt – figuurlijk gezien, zodat die persoon niet helder kan zien wat er werkelijk aan de hand is.
Deze uitdrukking komt vaak voor in politieke, juridische of persoonlijke contexten, en verwijst naar een strategie waarbij doelbewust verwarring wordt gezaaid om fouten, misstanden of ongemakkelijke feiten te verdoezelen. Op deze pagina verkennen we de betekenis, het gebruik en de impact van deze veelzeggende metafoor.
The phrase “throw dust in someone’s eyes” is an idiomatic expression that means to deceive or mislead someone by diverting their attention or providing false information. Here are the key points related to this phrase:
Deception: The phrase implies an act of intentionally misleading someone, often by creating confusion or distraction. It suggests an attempt to prevent the person from seeing or understanding the truth or the actual situation.
Diversionary Tactics: “throw dust in someone’s eyes” involves employing tactics or techniques to divert attention away from something important or relevant. This can include introducing irrelevant or misleading information to misdirect focus or create a false perception.
Misdirection and Confusion: the intention behind “throw dust in someone’s eyes” is to create confusion or uncertainty in the target’s mind, making it difficult for them to perceive the truth or make informed judgments. It aims to cloud their understanding and prevent them from seeing the situation clearly.
Purposeful Manipulation: The phrase implies an act of intentional manipulation, where the person attempting to deceive has a motive or agenda behind their actions. They may seek personal gain, advantage, or to protect their interests by misleading others.
Figurative Usage: It’s important to note that “throw dust in someone’s eyes” is a figurative expression, not a literal action. It represents the concept of misleading or deceiving rather than physically throwing dust in someone’s eyes.
Overall, the phrase “throw dust in someone’s eyes” captures the idea of intentionally deceiving or diverting someone’s attention by providing false or misleading information, leading them away from the truth or the actual situation.
Idioms and Phrases
Mislead someone, as in The governor’s press aide threw dust in their eyes, talking about a flight at the airport when he was heading for the highway . This metaphoric expression alludes to throwing dust or sand in the air to confuse a pursuing enemy. [Mid-1700s]
Synonyms
mislead
confuse
fool
take in (informal)
con (slang)
have (someone) on
deceive
hoodwink
Ministers knowingly misled the public.
Art dealers fool a lot of people.
.
He claimed that the businessman had conned him out of his life savings.
.
.
He has deceived and disillusioned us all.
Many people are hoodwinked by the so-called beauty industry.
Government signed off on Post Office executives bonuses
12 feb 2024
We know it’s been called the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history.
We know it ruined the lives of thousands of subpostmasters.
But there is still plenty we don’t know about the Post Office Scandal – questions that are currently being probed at an Inquiry.
When it was revealed that Post Office executives were being paid bonuses just to take part in that inquiry, there was outrage.
Now, we can reveal that the government signed off on those bonuses.
Produced by Nanette van der Laan.
throw dust in eyes
Meaning | Synonyms
to mislead somebody
to deceive someone
make a fool of somebody
to befool
to confuse someone
Example Sentences
She threw dust in the eyes of the jeweler by pretending to be a well-to-do lady, and then stole the jewellery.
The taxi drivers in Shimla throws dust in tourist’s eyes and take too much money for a small distance.
Give my whole money back; you cannot throw dust in my eyes.
The thug threw dust in her eyes and exchanged her real diamonds with fake stones.
The secretary of the film actress threw dust in the fan’s eyes, talking about a show at the airport when she was heading for the expressway.
Don’t ever earn money by throwing dust in customer’s eyes or soon you will lost your business.
Origin
This idiomatic expression alludes to throwing dust or sand in the eyes to confuse a pursuing enemy. [Mid-1700s]
Source: theidioms.com
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