Who Died in That Kilt?

I have recently seen the proliferation of a really egregious error caused by a homophone in a common idiom.

The idiom in question is “dyed-in-the-wool,” which is never spelled “died-in-the-wool” unless someone has actually passed away while encased in sheeps’ fur.

In medieval England, you could dye unspun wool before making it into threads, or you could dye spun wool thread, or you could dye a finished fabric. Fabric made of wool that had been dyed unspun was called dyed-in-the-wool, and was considered the best-quality because the colour was less susceptible to fading.

So double-check your spelling when you use this particular idiom.

Tags: homophones, idioms, origins, Spelling