to throw dust in one's eyes
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To mislead. The allusion is to "the swiftest runner in a sandy race, who to make his fellowes follow aloofe, casteth dust with his heeles into their envious eyes" (Cotgrave, 1611).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to throw dust in one's eyes” mean?
To mislead. The allusion is to "the swiftest runner in a sandy race, who to make his fellowes follow aloofe, casteth dust with his heeles into their envious eyes" (Cotgrave, 1611).
Is “to throw dust in one's eyes” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.