make a pig's ear of
To do badly; to make a mess of.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I tried to fix the sink but made a pig's ear of it.”
“The new employee made a pig's ear of the report, so we had to rewrite the entire document.”
“Despite his extensive preparation, he made a pig's ear of the presentation, leaving the board members confused and disappointed.”
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absence makes the heart grow fonder
One feels more love or affection for those one loves when parted from them.
- 02
all ears
Listening intently; fully focused.
- 03
all eyes and ears
Very attentive.
- 04
are your ears burning
Asked of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.
- 05
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 06
believe one's ears
To believe that something which one hears is truly the case.
- 07
bend someone's ear
To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.
- 08
box someone's ears
To slap someone on the side of the head, usually as an informal punishment.
Last updated August 10, 2026