🧏 Deaf as a Post
Is it hard for someone to detect the dulcet tones of your voice? Are you trying to work out how someone missed out on hearing your captivating conversation? Perhaps they’re “deaf as a post.” Or they’re deeply engrossed in wondering why we’re comparing their hearing abilities to inanimate objects in the first place!
Definition
Deaf as a post: Unable to hear or to listen. This longstanding simile humorously likens someone’s inability to hear to an object incredibly unresponsive to sound waves.
Hilarious Origins & Outdated Comparisons
The expression hails from the sixteenth century. Imagine yourself lamenting about a friend being “deaf as a post” in 1540. Here’s a visual to indulge in: “He wotteth ful lyttel how deffe an eare I intended to gyue him . . . he were as good to tell his tale to a poste.” (J. Palsgrave, Acolastus)
While “deaf as an adder,” “deaf as a beetle,” and “deaf as a white cat” went belly up, our robustly nonchalant post remains unchallenged, immune to temporal changes.
See Also
- Fall on deaf ears: To be ignored or disregarded.
- Turn a blind eye/deaf ear: To knowingly ignore some fact or reality.
Synonyms
- Hearing-impaired as a painting.
- Ear-challenged like a stone statue.
- Hard of hearing as silent night.
Antonyms
- All ears.
- Keen-eared as a bloodhound.
- Alert as an owl.
Funny Quotes
“Sometimes I just think life is one long series of problems I’m not nearly ‘deaf as a post’ enough to ignore.” —Anonymous Escapist
Curious Related Phrases
- Silence is golden: Sometimes silence speaks louder than words.
Suggested Literature
- “King Lear” by William Shakespeare: King Lear’s unfortunate inability to heed his trusted advisor’s words symbolizes the downfall a ‘deaf ear’ (though more metaphorically).
Suggested Songs
- “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel: Sometimes it’s the quiet moments that speak the loudest.
Suggested Movies
- “Hear No Evil, See No Evil”: A slapstick comedy starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, where the main characters can’t listen in the ‘usual sense,’ throwing ‘deaf as a post’ into a lighter perspective.
Inspirational Thought
“Move not, unless you see an advantage; use not your troops, unless there is something to be gained; fight not, unless the position is critical.” —Sun Tzu, Art of War
Publishing Details: Written by Ear N. Almighty; Published on October 1, 2023. May your life be filled with joyous sounds and thoughtful silences. Hearing is optional; understanding is key. 🎶
