up to your ears in
up to your ears in
very busy with or deeply involved in – informal
RELATED IDIOMS :
be all ears
be listening eagerly and attentively – informal
bring something about your ears = bring something down about your ears
bring something, especially misfortune on yourself.
dry behind the ears
mature or experienced
fall on deaf ears
(of a statement or request) be ignored by others
1990 - Ellen Kuzwayo - Sit Down and Listen – All efforts by her husband to dissuade her from wishing to leave fell on deaf ears
have his ear
have access to and influence with someone
1993 - Olympian - About 50 of the freshman congressman's constituents had his ear for more than two hours.
have something by the ears
keep or obtain a secure hold on
1949 - Dylan Thomas – Letter - I am tangled in hack-work. Depression has me by the ears.
have something coming out of your ears
have a substantial or excessive amount of something – informal
1997 - Daily Express - In terms of advice, Jill's had suggestions coming out of her ears.
have an ear to the ground = keep an ear to the ground
be well informed about events and trends
The idea behind this phrase is that by putting your ear against the ground you would be able to hear approaching footsteps.
in one ear and out the other
heard but disregarded or quickly forgotten
lend an ear = lend your ears
listen to someone sympathetically or attentively
listen with half an ear
not give your full attention to someone or something.
make a pig's ear of
bungle
make a mess of - British informal
This probably developed with humorous reference to the phrase make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
turn something inferior into something of top quality
The observation that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear has been proverbial since the late 16th century. There was an earlier version which featured a goat's fleece instead of a sow's ear.
out on your ear
dismissed or ejected ignominiously – informal
1997 - Accountancy - At the age of 47, he found himself out on his ear, victim of Lord Hanson's policy of taking over companies and replacing senior management.
set by the ears
cause people to quarrel
his ears are flapping
someone is listening intently in order to overhear something not intended for them – informal
turn a deaf ear
not pay attention to
pretend not hearing
wet behind the ears
immature or inexperienced
his ears are burning
someone is subconsciously aware of being talked about, especially in their absence
The superstition that your ears tingle when you are being talked about is recorded from the mid 16th century. Originally it was the left ear only that was supposed to do so.
up to your ears in :
Idioms Index – Previous Page
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