To fall on deaf ears (idiom)
2016.06.22
Meaning:
Deaf people cannot hear. If I ask a deaf person for help – maybe he/she cannot hear me, and so will not help me. When we use the expression ‘deaf ears’, we mean that our listener is *not really* deaf. If I ask someone with ‘deaf ears’ for help, he/she will *pretend* he/she cannot hear me. So the sentence: ‘My request fell on deaf ears’ means ‘My request was ignored. No-one will do anything about my request.’ ‘to fall on deaf ears’ has a negative nuance.
Example:
A: My company is stupid! They are making a bad business decision.
B: Did you tell her your boss about your opinion?
A: Yes, I did. But my ideas fell on deaf ears.
Talking Point(s):
Have you ever said something that fell on deaf ears?
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