tickle the ear
To flatter someone.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He tries to tickle the ear of his boss with compliments.”
“The politician knows exactly how to tickle the ear of the voters during his campaign speeches.”
“The advisor sought to tickle the ear of the king with pleasant promises, hoping to secure his position at court.”
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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