Much cry and little wool

Posted by Victoria S Dennis on December 07, 2007

In Reply to: Much cry and little wool posted by Mark on December 07, 2007

: Does anyone know the meaning and/or origin of the expression: "Much cry and little wool"?

It's a mediaeval proverb, first recorded in 1475. "Cry" here has the sense "shouting"; mediaeval traders "cried their wares" in the streets. The expression means that a lot of noise and fanfare is being made about something that actually has little substance or importance.