cloth

Related to cloth: man of the cloth

back-cloth star

An actor or performer who takes the focus of the audience away from the other actors on stage by positioning him- or herself in such a way that the other actors' backs are to the audience. Everyone said after the show that his performance was riveting, but to be honest, I think he's just a back-cloth star. He made it so he was the only one we could ever see!
See also: star

be touching cloth

vulgar slang To have a very urgent or desperate need to defecate. (Refers jokingly to one's feces protruding into one's underpants.) Boy, it's a good thing we got home when we did—I was touching cloth on the way here!
See also: cloth, touching

cloth ears

A humorous name for one who has not heard something that has been said. Primarily heard in UK. Come on, cloth ears, she practically shouted the answer—how did you miss it?
See also: cloth, ear

cut (one's) cloth

To act in accordance with one's limitations, often financial. Primarily heard in UK. You'll go bankrupt if you don't start cutting your cloth.
See also: cloth, cut

cut (one's) coat according to (one's) cloth

To shop or act in accordance with one's financial limitations. You'll go bankrupt unless you start cutting your coat according to your cloth.
See also: accord, cloth, coat, cut

cut (one's) coat to suit (one's) cloth

To shop or act in accordance with one's financial limitations. You'll go bankrupt unless you start cutting your coat to suit your cloth.
See also: cloth, coat, cut, suit

cut from the same cloth

Very similar in characteristics or behaviors. I hate the snow, but my kids just love it—they are definitely cut from the same cloth. Julia and her mother are cut from the same cloth, as they are both so kind and sweet.
See also: cloth, cut, same

cut from whole cloth

Entirely fictional or utterly false; completely fabricated and not based on reality at all. A reference to tailors who would falsely advertise garments being made "out of whole cloth," when, in reality, they were pieced together from different cuts. To be honest, I don't believe a word he says—it sounds like it's cut from whole cloth to me.
See also: cloth, cut, whole

cut out of whole cloth

Entirely fictional or utterly false; completely fabricated and not based on reality at all. A reference to tailors who would falsely advertise garments being made "out of whole cloth," when, in reality, they were pieced together from different cuts. To be honest, I don't believe a word he says—it sounds cut out of whole cloth to me.
See also: cloth, cut, of, out, whole

in cloth

Bound in cloth, as of certain books. Wow, this is a rare edition of "Wuthering Heights" in cloth!
See also: cloth

made from whole cloth

Entirely fictional or utterly false; completely fabricated and not based on reality at all. A reference to tailors who would falsely advertise garments being made "out of whole cloth," when, in reality, they were pieced together from different cuts. To be honest, I don't believe a word he says—it sounds like it's made from whole cloth to me.
See also: cloth, made, whole

made out of whole cloth

Entirely fictional or utterly false; completely fabricated and not based on reality at all. A reference to tailors who would falsely advertise garments being made "out of whole cloth," when, in reality, they were pieced together from different cuts. To be honest, I don't believe a word he says—it sounds made out of whole cloth to me.
See also: cloth, made, of, out, whole

make (something) up out of whole cloth

To fabricate something entirely fictional or utterly false and not based on reality at all. A reference to tailors who would falsely advertise garments being made "out of whole cloth," when, in reality, they were pieced together from different cuts. To be honest, I don't believe a word he says—it sounds like he made it up out of whole cloth to me.
See also: cloth, make, of, out, up, whole

man of the cloth

A priest or clergyman. Ever since he was young, John knew he wanted to become a man of the cloth.
See also: cloth, man, of

out of whole cloth

Entirely from fiction or the imagination, or through complete fabrication; not based on reality at all. A reference to tailors who would falsely advertise garments being made "out of whole cloth," when, in reality, they were pieced together from different cuts. To be honest, I don't believe a word he says—it sounds cut out of whole cloth to me. I broke curfew staying out too late with my boyfriend, but luckily I was able to make an excuse out of whole cloth about being at the library.
See also: cloth, of, out, whole

sackcloth and ashes

Penitence or remorse for one's misdeeds or poor behavior. The phrase originates from an ancient tradition of wearing sackcloth as a show of repentance, and is typically accompanied by verbs like "wear." Darren has been wearing sackcloth and ashes ever since his girlfriend broke up with him for cheating on her. There's no way to turn back time on the way I treated my brother growing up. All I can do now is stay in sackcloth and ashes.
See also: and, ash, sackcloth

take the cloth

To become a member of the clergy, typically a priest. Fewer young men are taking the cloth these days.
See also: cloth, take

whole cloth

An entirely fictional account not based on reality at all; make-believe. Usually appears in the phrase "out of whole cloth." A reference to tailors who would falsely advertise garments being made "out of whole cloth," when, in reality, they were pieced together from different cuts. I broke curfew staying out too late with my boyfriend, but luckily I was able to make an excuse out of whole cloth about being at the library. When my sister refused to go to sleep without a bedtime story, I pulled a tale about princesses together out of whole cloth.
See also: cloth, whole
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

cut from the same cloth

 and made from the same mold
Fig. sharing a lot of similarities; seeming to have been created, reared, or fashioned in the same way. She and her brother are cut from the same cloth. They both tell lies all the time. Father and son are made from the same mold and even sound alike on the telephone.
See also: cloth, cut, same

cut one's coat according to one's cloth

 and cut one's coat to suit one's cloth
Prov. to plan one's aims and activities in line with one's resources and circumstances. We would like a bigger house, but we must cut our coat according to our cloth. They can't afford a vacation abroad—they have to cut their coat according to their cloth.
See also: accord, cloth, coat, cut

make something up out of whole cloth

Fig. to fabricate a story or a lie. That's a lie. You just made that up out of whole cloth. That's a lie. You just made up that story out of whole cloth.
See also: cloth, make, of, out, up, whole

man of the cloth

Fig. a clergyman. Father Brown is a man of the cloth and is welcome at our table for dinner every Sunday.
See also: cloth, man, of
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

out of whole cloth

From pure fabrication or fiction. This expression is often put as cut (or made) out of whole cloth, as in That story was cut out of whole cloth. In the 15th century this expression referred to something fabricated from cloth that ran the full length of the loom. However, by the 1800s it was common practice for tailors to deceive their customers and, instead of using whole cloth, actually make garments from pieced goods. Their advertising slogan, "cut out of whole cloth," thus came to mean "made up, false."
See also: cloth, of, out, whole

sackcloth and ashes

Mourning or penitence, as in What I did to Julie's child was terrible, and I've been in sackcloth and ashes ever since . This term refers to the ancient Hebrew custom of indicating humility before God by wearing a coarse cloth, normally used to make sacks, and dusting oneself with ashes. In English it appeared in William Tyndale's 1526 biblical translations (Matthew 11:21), "They [the cities Tyre and Sidon] had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."
See also: and, ash, sackcloth
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

be cut from the same cloth

mainly BRITISH
If two or more people are cut from the same cloth, they are very similar in their character, attitudes, or behaviour. It's often said that London critics are all cut from the same cloth: that they are white, male, middle-aged and middle-class. Note: You can say that people are cut from a different cloth, meaning they are very different. His brother was cut from an altogether different cloth.
See also: cloth, cut, same

cloth ears

BRITISH
If someone has cloth ears, they do not pay attention or listen to something important. We've tried telling the government on numerous occasions but they have cloth ears. Note: You can also describe someone as cloth-eared. Even cloth-eared politicians have finally realised the scale of the problem.
See also: cloth, ear

cut your cloth

mainly BRITISH
If you cut your cloth according to your situation, you limit what you do to take account of the resources you have. Ford would be forced to cut its cloth according to the demands of the market. The Government would have to cut its cloth and eliminate programmes which were not used. Note: You can also say that you cut your coat according to your cloth, with the same meaning. Organisations which are supported by the taxpayer must cut their coats according to their cloth.
See also: cloth, cut

make something of whole cloth

or

make something up of whole cloth

AMERICAN
If someone makes a story or statement of whole cloth or makes up a story or statement of whole cloth, they invent all of it. There are those who say that story was made of whole cloth. It's the biggest journalistic scandal since Jones won a Pulitzer prize for a story she made up from whole cloth. Note: Verbs such as create and invent are sometimes used instead of make. It would not be the first time he had tried to make millions by creating causes out of whole cloth.
See also: cloth, make, of, something, whole
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

cloth ears

an inability to hear or understand clearly. British informal derogatory
See also: cloth, ear

cut from the same cloth

of the same nature.
1999 Washington Post The last thing a franchise needs is for the two most important men at the top to be cut from the same cloth.
See also: cloth, cut, same

cut your coat according to your cloth

undertake only what you have the money or ability to do and no more. proverb
See also: accord, cloth, coat, cut

man of the cloth

a clergyman.
Jonathan Swift used cloth as an informal term for the clerical profession in the early 18th century, but it was earlier applied to several other occupations for which distinctive clothing was worn, e.g. the legal or military professions.
See also: cloth, man, of

out of (the) whole cloth

wholly fabricated; with no basis in fact or reality. North American informal
1991 Ron Rosenbaum Travels with Dr. Death The fact that her murder is officially ‘unsolved’ is irritating, yes, but not justification for creating conspiracy theories out of the whole cloth.
See also: cloth, of, out, whole
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

be ˌcut from the same ˈcloth

be very similar in character, quality, experience, etc: Don’t assume all the women in our family are cut from the same cloth.
See also: cloth, cut, same

ˌcut your ˈcoat acˌcording to your ˈcloth

(saying) do only what you have enough money to do and no more: This has not been a good year for us financially, and we must be prepared to cut our coat according to our cloth.
See also: accord, cloth, coat, cut

a ˌman of ˈGod/the ˈcloth

(old-fashioned, formal) a religious man, especially a priest or a clergyman
See also: cloth, god, man, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

in cloth

With a clothbound binding; as a clothbound book.
See also: cloth

cut from the same cloth

Similar or the same.
See also: cloth, cut, same

out of whole cloth

1. By means of the imagination or as a fabrication: "Some of her stories she created out of whole cloth; for others she began with an incident Idella had described and then reimagined it into a full story" (Kate Walbert).
2. Out of nothing; from the very start: "The idea of creating out of whole cloth an intelligence network in a country like that is daunting" (Jack Reed).
See also: cloth, of, out, whole
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

out of whole cloth

A fabrication; untrue. From the mid-fifteenth century on, whole cloth meant a piece of cloth of full size, as opposed to one from which a portion had been cut. The term was used figuratively in various ways from the late sixteenth century on, and the current cliché came into use in the early 1800s. Lexicographer Charles Funk suggested that the turnaround came from the fact that some tailors deceived customers by using patched or pieced goods instead of a genuine full width of cloth. William Safire commented that by ironic transference the fabrication (cloth) was treated as another kind of fabrication (a lie). An early appearance in print came in Thomas Chandler Haliburton’s The Clockmaker (1840): “All that talk about her temper was made out of whole cloth. . . . What a fib!”
See also: cloth, of, out, whole
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

out of whole cloth

Fictitious. The most convincing explanation for this phrase deals with Middle Ages tailors who wove fabric on large looms, then cut the pieces into suits and dresses. Garments made from a single bolt of cloth were far preferable to ones made from leftover pieces. Dishonest tailors tried to convince customers that their clothes were made of whole cloth. When their lie was found out enough times, “whole cloth” came to stand for a fabrication, the meaning that survives to this day.
See also: cloth, of, out, whole
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • back-cloth star
  • hiss
  • hiss (someone) off (the stage)
  • hiss off
  • warm someone up
  • boo off the stage
  • hoot (one) down
  • hoot off the stage
  • howl (one) down
  • howl down
References in classic literature
The Emperor soon sent another worthy statesman to see how the weaving was getting on, and whether the cloth would soon be finished.
'Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?' asked the two impostors, and they pointed to and described the splendid material which was not there.
It is strange, certainly, but no one must be allowed to notice it.' And so he praised the cloth which he did not see, and expressed to them his delight at the beautiful colours and the splendid texture.
Yellow Fairy Book
Then the cloth ripped out from the walls, tore, split, swayed, and shot down upon the table something that I dared not look at till Strickland had slid down the ladder and was standing by my side.
There was a movement under the cloth, and a little snake wriggle'd out, to be back-broken by the butt of the masheer rod.
The thing under the cloth made no more signs of life.
From Mine Own People
Accompanied by a select number of officers of the court, among whom were the two honest men who had already admired the cloth, he went to the crafty impostors, who, as soon as they were aware of the Emperor's approach, went on working more diligently than ever; although they still did not pass a single thread through the looms.
They pretended to roll the cloth off the looms; cut the air with their scissors; and sewed with needles without any thread in them.
The whole suit is as light as a cobweb; one might fancy one has nothing at all on, when dressed in it; that, however, is the great virtue of this delicate cloth."
Andersens Fairy Tales
Her hands shifted the damp cloth hesitatingly from one to the other, exactly as they had shifted the little travelling-bag on the night when I first saw her.
The cloth she had been holding dropped from her hands--her lips fell apart--all the little colour that there was naturally in her face left it in an instant.
She caught up the cloth that had fallen at her side, as if it had been a living creature that she could kill, and crushed it in both her hands with such convulsive strength, that the few drops of moisture left in it trickled down on the stone beneath her.
The Woman in White
It was covered with a scarlet cloth, which prevented the device from being seen.
Ivanhoe
Was he so sure that he would enjoy wearing clothes again?
The Little White Bird
"Yes, I sent Luke directly they'd put the bailies in, and your aunt Pullet's been--and, oh dear, oh dear, she cries so and says your father's disgraced my family and made it the talk o' the country; and she'll buy the spotted cloths for herself, because she's never had so many as she wanted o' that pattern, and they sha'n't go to strangers, but she's got more checks a'ready nor she can do with." (Here Mrs.
The Mill on the Floss