are your ears burning
Asked of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Are your ears burning? We were just talking about you.”
“I noticed you walked in right as we mentioned your name, so are your ears burning?”
“As she entered the room and the conversation abruptly ceased, he smiled and asked, are your ears burning?”
- 01
all ears
Listening intently; fully focused.
- 02
all eyes and ears
Very attentive.
- 03
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 04
believe one's ears
To believe that something which one hears is truly the case.
- 05
bend someone's ear
To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.
- 06
book burning
Any mass destruction, removal, or recalling of books, motion pictures, broadcasts, or electronic works as a form of censorship, especially motivated by religious or political objections to the material.
- 07
box someone's ears
To slap someone on the side of the head, usually as an informal punishment.
- 08
burn someone's ears
To cause blushing of someone's ears due to strong embarrassment.
Last updated August 10, 2026