donkey's ears
A long time, years and years.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I have not seen my old friend for donkey's ears.”
“We have lived in this small village for donkey's ears, so we know everyone here.”
“Having worked at the same company for donkey's ears, she felt it was finally time to seek a new challenge elsewhere.”
first recorded 20th c.
1916 UK, from British rhyming slang, rhyming with years, due to donkey’s ears being long.
- 01
all ears
Listening intently; fully focused.
- 02
all eyes and ears
Very attentive.
- 03
are your ears burning
Asked of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.
- 04
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 05
believe one's ears
To believe that something which one hears is truly the case.
- 06
bend someone's ear
To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.
- 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