Give an Earful: The Art of Verbal Barrages and their Roots
🔍 Definition: To subject someone to a barrage of words. This somewhat slangy twentieth-century cliché comes from an older one, to bend one’s ear to someone, meaning to listen or pay attention to someone.
📚 Origins & History:
- Bend One’s Ear to Someone: Originates from the late sixteenth century, appearing in poetry such as John Milton’s “Thine ears with favor bend” (1648).
- Incline Thine Ear: Found in religious texts and prayers, including the Book of Common Prayer and George Whelpton’s well-known Protestant prayer response, “Hear our prayer, O Lord, incline thine ear to us” (1897).
🌟 Synonyms:
- Harangue
- spiel
- lecture
- monologue
- diatribe
- tirade
📝 Related Idioms & Expressions:
- Talk someone’s ear off: To talk incessantly.
- Chew the fat: To converse at length in a casual or friendly manner.
- Blab: To talk volubly, often without purpose.
- Bury the lead: To delay coming to the main point.
📖 Literature & References:
- Books:
- Dialogues of the Dead by Lucian of Samosata (for learning the art of debate and extended speech).
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (for its endless monologues).
- Poetry:
- The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot (for its fragmented dialogic style).
- Movies:
- My Dinner with Andre (for an extended conversation covering a multitude of topics).
💡 Inspiration:
“Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf.” – Native American Proverb
🎓 Quizzical Fun
### Which of these expressions means to talk a lot?
- [ ] Sing like a weekday robin
- [ ] Stare into the void
- [x] Chew the fat
- [ ] Float on a sunbeam
> **Explanation:** "Chew the fat" is an idiom meaning to talk at length, usually in a relaxed and informal way.
### Which phrase involves listening?
- [ ] Cat got your tongue?
- [ ] Out on a limb
- [x] Bend someone’s ear
- [ ] Jump through hoops
> **Explanation:** "Bend someone’s ear" means to have a long conversation with someone about something, thereby requiring their attention and listening skills.
### True or False: 'Verbal barrage' means to assault someone with lots of words.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True. A "verbal barrage" is indeed an overwhelming amount of words thrown at someone in quick succession.
### Pick the real idiom related to conversation:
- [ ] Blast through the roof
- [x] Talk someone’s ear off
- [ ] Eat purple peaches
- [ ] Dance with the lights off
> **Explanation:** "Talk someone’s ear off" means to talk to someone endlessly, often to the point of annoyance.
Stay inquisitive, always lend an ear 🧠👂. And remember: Words, while just letters strung together, shape our reality. Happy word-weaving!
\x98\
— E. L. Jargon, 2023
