A: Sam’s fiancee wants to have a wedding before the altar, but Sam is a dyed-in-the-wool atheist and has never visited church in his life.

    B: Haven’t they ever talked about religion during their three-year relationship?

    Note: This idiom, of American origin, is used to refer to someone who has very strong opinions and will not change. The dye lasts forever, if wool is dyed in its raw state as compared to wool that gets colored after being woven or spun. People who have strong beliefs never change their opinions and are called as dyed-in-the-wool. This expression was first used politically during the Andrew Jackson’s administration in 1830.