dry behind the ears
Seasoned or experienced; mature, especially with respect to judgment.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He is still young and not yet dry behind the ears.”
“The manager did not want to hire the intern because he was not quite dry behind the ears yet.”
“Although the young diplomat possessed a sharp intellect, his colleagues often dismissed his suggestions, claiming he was not yet dry behind the ears.”
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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