单词 | pitchers have ears |
释义 | > as lemmaspitchers have ears P1. pitchers have ears and variants (with pun on ear n.1 2 and ear n.1 7a): used as a warning that people may be listening or eavesdropping. Frequently in little pitchers have big ears and variants: children are inclined to eavesdrop; (also, as a warning) be careful, children are listening. ΚΠ 1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. v. sig. Giv v Auoyd your children, smal pitchers haue wide eares. a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) iv. iv. 51 Not in my house Lucentio, for you know Pitchers haue eares, and I haue manie seruants. View more context for this quotation 1664 R. Codrington Proverbs in 2nd Pt. Youths Behaviour 203 Little Pitchers have great ears. 1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xxviii. 282 The nurse before Mrs. Richards did make unpleasant remarks.., and hint at little Pitchers. 1874 E. P. Roe Opening Chestnut Burr xii. 136 Children were tiresome to him, and he wanted to talk to Miss Walton, without ‘little pitchers with large ears’ around. 1909 Daily Chron. 19 Mar. 7/3 Not allowing for the presence of ‘small pitchers’ makes for future embarrassment. 1989 M. Atwood Best Amer. Stories Introd. p. xv We have all been little pitchers with big ears, shooed out of the kitchen when the unspoken is being spoken. < as lemmas |
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