Ear,Eye & Nose Idioms
able to (do something) with one's eyes closed/shut
-to be able to do something very easily
The car mechanic was able to fix my car with his eyes closed.
all ears
-to be eager to hear something, to be very attentive
My sister was all ears last night when I talked about starting a home business.
all eyes
- to be watching very closely, to be wide-eyed with surprise
My friend is all eyes when he goes to a basketball game.
all eyes are on (someone or something)
- everyone is waiting eagerly for someone to appear or something to happen
All eyes were on the singer when he walked onto the stage.
apple of (someone`s) eye
- someone's favorite person or thing
The young girl is the apple of her father`s eye.
as blind as a bat
-blind, unable to see
The man was as blind as a bat and he could not see anything at all.
as plain as the nose on one's face
-clearly evident, obvious
The explanation for the problem was as plain as the nose on my face.
assault the ears
- to be very loud or persistent
The music was very loud and it assaulted our ears.
(not) bat an eye/eyelid
- to show no surprise or reaction even when something bad happens
Our boss did not bat an eye when we told him that we were going home early today.
believe one`s ears
- to believe what one is hearing, to become sure of something
I could not believe my ears when I heard that I had won a holiday to Mexico.
believe one`s eyes
- to believe what one is seeing
We could not believe our eyes when we saw the three bears on the highway.
bend (someone's) ear
-to talk to someone (usually in an annoying/persistent manner)
I met my co-worker this morning and she bent my ear for almost an hour about her problems at work.
blind leading the blind
-someone who does not know how to do something themselves tries to explain it to other people
It was like the blind leading the blind when I tried to help my friend fix his car. I do not know anything about cars.
blow one's nose
-to use the air from one's lungs to clear one's nose
I took some tissue from my pocket and blew my nose.
can't see beyond the end of one's nose
-to be able to see beyond what concerns one at the present time only
My friend cannot see beyond the end of his nose and he has no idea about what is happening around him.
cast a (critical/professional) eye over (someone or something)
- to look at something in a particular way
The movie director cast a critical eye over the movie script from the writer.
cast an eye over (something)
- to read or look at something quickly
I cast an eye over the report before I went to the meeting.
catch (someone`s) eye
- to attract someone`s attention
I tried to catch my friend`s eye at the movie theater but he did not notice me.
close one's eyes to (something)
-to ignore something, to pretend that something is not really happening
My father closed his eyes to the problems that were happening in his company.
count noses
-to count people
The teacher stopped to count noses before the students got on the bus.
cry one's eyes out
-to cry very hard
The little girl cried her eyes out when she lost her favorite doll.
cut off one`s nose to spite one`s face
- to make things worse for oneself by trying to harm someone/something else
The man cut off his nose to spite his face when he became angry and quit his job.
deaf and dumb
-unable to hear or speak
The young man is deaf and dumb and he has trouble understanding what is happening around him.
eagle eye
-a very careful watchful eye (like the eye of an eagle)
The woman has an eagle eye and she never misses a thing.
ears are burning
- someone is talking about you when you are not there
My ears are burning and I am sure that someone is talking about me.
ears are ringing
- one hears a ringing sound because of a very loud sound
My ears were ringing after the three fire trucks passed me.
ears become red
- one's ears become red from embarrassment
My ears became red when our teacher asked me a question.
evil eye
- the power to harm people just by looking at them (as some people believe)
The man seemed to give me the evil eye when I met him at the ceremony.
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
- a system of punishment where you punish someone in a similar way that they hurt you
Some people call for an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth when they hear of a terrible crime.
eye of the storm
- at the center of a storm/controversy
The company scandal is stressful for everybody and at the moment we are right in the eye of the storm.
eyeball-to-eyeball
-face to face
I had an eyeball-to-eyeball encounter with an angry dog at the park.
eyes are bigger than one`s stomach
- one takes more food than one can eat
My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I went to the restaurant and ordered too much food.
eyes pop out (of one's head)
- one is very surprised
My eyes popped out of my head when I saw the new computer that I got for my birthday.
fall on deaf ears
-to have one's talk or ideas ignored by the person that they are intended for
My complaints to the apartment manager usually fall on deaf ears and nothing is ever done.
feast one's eyes on (someone or something)
-to look at someone or something with pleasure/enjoyment
We stopped at the top of the hill to feast our eyes on some of the best scenery that we have ever seen.
flea in (someone`s) ear
- an idea or answer that is not welcome
The idea about changing the schedules is a flea in the supervisor`s ear.
follow one's nose
-to go straight ahead, to follow a smell to its source
I followed my nose to the place where they were baking the bread.
four eyes
- an expression (often used by children) for someone who is wearing glasses
The children called their friend with the glasses four eyes.
get a black eye
-to get a bruise near one's eye from being hit, to have one's reputation harmed
The little boy got a black eye when he bumped into the door.
get an eyeful (of someone or something)
-to see everything, to see a shocking or surprising sight
We really got an eyeful when we saw the accident on the highway.
get one`s nose out of (something)
- to become uninvolved in something or in someone else's business
I wish that our secretary would get her nose out of my business.
get the eye from (someone)
- to be looked at by someone in a hostile/unfriendly way
We got the eye from the manager of the restaurant when we entered in our old clothes.
give one's eye teeth (to do something)
- to want to do something very much
I would give my eye teeth to go to London with my cousin.
give (someone) a black eye
-to hit someone near their eye so it becomes dark, to hurt someone's reputation
The boy gave his friend a black eye.
The scandal gave the company a black eye.
give (someone) an earful
-to talk to someone in order to criticize or complain about something
I met my supervisor on the weekend and I decided to give her an earful about my job.
give (someone) the eye
- to look at someone in a hostile/unfriendly way
I gave the woman in the restaurant the eye but she ignored me.
go into (something) with one's eyes (wide) open
- to do something or make a choice knowing the problems that are involved and having all the necessary information
The city went into the construction contract with their eyes wide open.
go into (something) with one's eyes closed/shut
- to do something or make a choice not knowing the problems that are involved and not having all the necessary information
The young woman went into her marriage with her eyes closed but still the marriage was very successful.
grin from ear to ear
- to have a big grin on one's face
The man was grinning from ear to ear after he found the money.
hard-nosed
- to be not weak or soft, to be stubborn
The union took a hard-nosed position in the contract negotiations.
hard of hearing
- unable to hear well, partially deaf
My grandfather is hard of hearing.
have a good eye for (something)
- to be able to judge something correctly, to have good taste in something
The woman has a good eye for color and her apartment is beautiful.
have a nose for (something)
- to have the talent for finding something
My friend has a nose for finding cheap items at weekend flea markets.
have an ear for (something)
- to have the ability to learn music or languages
The girl has an ear for languages and she can learn them very fast.
have an ear out for (something)
- to listen carefully for something
I have an ear out for any business opportunities that may appear.
have an eye for (something)
- to be able to judge something correctly, to have good taste in something
My father has an eye for ceramic plates and he has a large collection of them.
have an eye on (someone or something)
- to watch someone or something carefully, to take care of someone or something, to want something
I have my eye on a nice camera that I would like to buy.
have eyes in the back of one`s head
- to have the ability to know what is happening behind one's back
Our teacher has eyes in the back of her head and she always knows what is going on in the classroom.
have nothing between the ears
- to be stupid, to have no brains/intelligence
The young man has nothing between the ears and he is always making stupid mistakes.
have one's ear to the ground
- to listen carefully in the hope of getting advance warning of something
I have my ear to the ground to see if any changes are planned for my company.
have one's eye on (someone or something)
- to want someone or something and hope that you will be able to get it
The woman has her eye on a new job in the company and she is working very hard to get it.
have one's eyes glued to (something)
- to watch something very carefully and not look away from it
Everybody in the airport lobby had their eyes glued to the television screen.
have one's nose in a book
-to be reading a book
The girl had her nose in a book during the long journey.
have one's nose in (something)
- to have unwelcome interest in something, to have impolite curiosity about something
My boss always has his nose in the business of other people so he is not very well-liked.
have one's nose in the air
- to be conceited or aloof
The girl has had her nose in the air ever since she won the speech contest.
have one`s nose to the grindstone
- to work hard or keep busy at something
My friend has his nose to the grindstone and he is studying hard at school.
have (someone's) ear
-to be able to get someone to listen to you (usually someone who has the power or ability to help you)
Our supervisor has the company president's ear and he is able to talk to him anytime.
have (something) coming out of one's ears
- to have much of something
We have towels coming out of our ears and we do not need any more.
have stars in one`s eyes
- to have an appearance or feeling of very great happiness, to be obsessed with show business
The girl had stars in her eyes when she won first prize in the speech contest.
Here's mud in your eye.
- Drink up! (used as a toast)
"Here's mud in your eye," I said as I had a drink with my old friend.
hit (someone) right between the eyes
- to make a strong impression on someone, to surprise someone greatly
The news about the accident hit us right between the eyes and really shocked us.
hold one's nose
- to accept that you have to do something that you do not want to do
I had to hold my nose and sign the legal contract which I did not want to sign.
in a pig's eye
- never
I will never in a pig's eye drive with my friend to visit her family.
in one ear and out the other
-a piece of information is heard and then quickly forgotten
Everything that the teacher said went in one ear and out the other and I did not remember a thing.
in one`s mind`s eye
- in one`s imagination
I tried to relax and in my mind`s eye pretend that I was on a beautiful island.
in the public eye
- visible to all, in public
Very often the wife or husband of a politician does not like to be in the public eye.
in the twinkling of an eye
- very quickly
I went into the store and in the twinkling of an eye I lost my money.
keep an ear out for (something)
- to listen carefully for something
I plan to keep an ear out for any information about a new job for my friend.
keep an eye on (someone or something)
- to watch someone or something carefully, to take care of someone or something
I asked my aunt to keep an eye on our apartment when we went away for our holiday.
keep an eye out for (someone or something)
- to watch for the arrival or appearance of someone or something
I have been keeping my eye out for my grandparents all morning.
keep one's ear to the ground
- to continue to listen carefully in the hope of getting advance warning of something
I am keeping my ear to the ground to see what is going to happen with the new owners of this company.
keep one's eye on the ball
- to remain alert to what is happening around one, to watch or follow the ball carefully while playing a game
I try hard to keep my eye on the ball during a meeting.
keep one's eyes open
- to remain alert and watchful, to notice what is happening around you
I always try to keep my eyes open when I am walking downtown at night.
keep one's eyes peeled for (someone or something)
- to remain alert and watchful for someone or something
I stood at the corner and kept my eyes peeled for my friend and his car.
keep one`s nose clean
- to stay out of trouble
The judge told the young man that he must keep his nose clean in order not to go to jail in the future.
keep one`s nose out of (something)
- to not become involved in something or in someone else's business
I wish that our secretary would keep her nose out of my personal affairs.
keep one`s nose to the grindstone
- to continue to work hard or keep busy at something
My friend is keeping his nose to the grindstone so that he can save enough money to buy a new car.
lay one's eyes on (someone or something)
- to see/find someone or something
"If you lay your eyes on my keys please tell me."
lead (someone) around by the nose
- to make someone do what you want
My sister has been leading her husband around by the nose since they got married.
lend (someone) an ear
- to listen to someone or to what they are saying
I asked my friend to lend me an ear and listen to my problems.
listen to (someone) with half an ear
- to not listen carefully to someone
I listened to my friend with half an ear while the news was on the radio.
look at (someone) cross-eyed
- to do something or look at someone in a way that may provoke anger
If you look at the man cross-eyed he will usually become angry.
look down one`s nose at (someone)
- to look at someone with contempt or dislike, to feel that you are better than someone else
The girl looks down her nose at people who she thinks are not as smart as she is.
look (someone) (right/straight) in the eye
- to face and look at someone directly
I looked at the salesman right in the eye and told him not to bother me again.
make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
- to create something of value out of something of no value
The girl is a terrible singer and she will never become better. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
make eyes at (someone)
- to try to attract someone, to flirt with someone
The woman in the restaurant is always making eyes at the customers.
make oneself heard
- to speak loudly so that you can be heard
The speaker tried very hard in order to make himself heard.
more to (someone or something) than meets the eye
- more interesting/intelligent/complicated than it seems
The problem appeared to be very simple but there was more to it than meets the eye.
naked eye
- the human eye (with no microscope/binoculars/telescope etc.)
It was difficult to see the star with the naked eye.
nose about/around (something)
- to look for something private or secret, to investigate something
The reporters spend a lot of time nosing around the business of famous people.
nose (someone) out
- to push someone away, to exclude someone
The older boy nosed the younger boy out of the line.
not a dry eye in the house
- everybody in an audience feels sad or emotional or cries
There was not a dry eye in the house when the manager gave her farewell speech.
not see farther than or past the end of one's nose
- not to care about anything that is happening to other people or someplace else
My friend cannot see past the end of her nose and she does not know about anything that is happening around her.
on the nose
- in exactly the right place/amount, at exactly the right time
I arrived at 3:00 on the nose.
only have eyes for (someone)
- to be loyal or interested in only one person
The man only has eyes for the woman who works in his office.
open (someone's) eyes to (something)
- to become aware of something
The documentary on television opened our eyes to the problems of the homeless in our city.
out of earshot
- too far from a sound/voice to hear it
I was out of earshot when my friends began to talk about me.
out of the corner of one's eye
- with a quick glance at something
I saw the big truck coming toward me out of the corner of my eye.
out on one's ear
- to be forced to (unwillingly) leave one's job/organization/home
The man did not pay his rent for two months and he was quickly out on his ear.
pay through the nose for (something)
- to pay too much for something
My mother paid through the nose for her new dress and she is very happy with it.
play by ear
- to play a musical instrument by remembering the tune and not by reading the music
My sister learned to play the piano by ear when she was a child.
play it by ear
- to decide what to do in a certain situation when you encounter the situation, to not plan in advance for something
I do not know what time I will be back on Sunday so we should play it by ear to find a good time to meet.
poke one's nose into (something)
- to interfere with something, to be nosy about something
My aunt always pokes her nose into the business of other people.
powder one's nose
- a woman goes to the restroom to put powder on her nose
The singer went to the dressing room to powder her nose before the performance.
prick up one's ears
- to listen more carefully to something (like an animal that moves its ears up to hear better)
When I heard my friends talking about me I quickly pricked up my ears.
pull the wool over (someone`s) eyes
- to deceive someone, to fool someone, to trick someone
The girl tried to pull the wool over her mother`s eyes when she said that she had been studying all weekend.
put a bug in (someone`s) ear
- to give someone an idea
I put a bug in my friend's ear when I said that I would like to go for a holiday with him.
put one's nose to the grindstone
- to keep busy doing one's work
I put my nose to the grindstone and began to work on my final essay for my history class.
put (someone's) eye out
- to puncture or harm someone's eye causing blindness
The man put his eye out when he had the accident with the metal rod.
put (someone's) nose out of joint
- to offend someone, to cause someone to feel insulted
I put my friend's nose out of joint when I asked him to give back the money that he had borrowed from me.
raise eyebrows
- to cause surprise or disapproval, to shock people
I raised eyebrows when I arrived at work two hours late this morning.
rub (someone's) nose in (something)
- to remind someone of something that they have done wrong
The girl's supervisor always rubs the girl's nose in it when she makes a mistake.
see eye to eye (with someone)
- to agree with someone, to have the same opinion as someone else
I never see eye to eye with my friend about which television program to watch.
set one's eyes on (someone or something)
- to see someone or something for the first time
I have not set my eyes on the new car model yet.
set (something) on its ear
- to cause a group/organization to be excited and interested in something
The new plan set most of the company on its ear. Everyone was very excited.
a sight for sore eyes
- a welcome sight
The man was a sight for sore eyes when he came home from his trip.
(no) skin off (someone`s) nose/teeth
- to be of no interest/concern/trouble to someone
It is no skin off my nose as to whether or not I go to the party.
smile from ear to ear
- to have a big smile on one's face
The little boy was smiling from ear to ear after he scored the goal.
spit in (someone's) eye
- to insult or annoy someone
The comments by my supervisor were as if someone had spit in my eye.
stick one's nose into (something)
- to interfere with something, to be nosey about something
I wish that my neighbor would stop sticking his nose into my business.
talk (someone's) ear off
- to talk to someone and bore them
The man beside me on the train talked my ear off during the journey.
thumb one`s nose at (someone or something)
- to look with disfavor or dislike at someone or something, to refuse to obey someone
My friend thumbed his nose at me when I asked him to stop talking so loud.
a tin ear for (something)
- the inability to judge the value of music etc.
The woman has a tin ear for music and she is not a good singer at all.
to the naked eye
- as something is seen exactly as you look at it
To the naked eye it looked like there was little damage to the car but actually there was much damage.
turn a blind eye to (someone or something)
- to ignore someone or something troublesome and pretend not to see it
Our teacher sometimes turns a blind eye to the bad behavior of the students in the class.
turn a deaf ear to (someone)
- to pretend not to hear someone, to not pay attention to someone
The supervisor turned a deaf ear to our complaints about the heat.
turn one`s nose up at (someone or something)
- to reject someone or something, to express scorn for someone or something
My sister turned up her nose at the chance to go to nursing school.
under (someone`s) nose
- easily found by someone, right in front of someone
I thought that I had lost my house keys but I found them right under my nose.
up to one's ears/eyeballs/neck in (something)
- to have a lot of something, to be much involved/busy with something
I have been up to my ears in work for several weeks now.
Walls have ears
- Someone may hear us.
"Walls have ears and you should think carefully about what you say when you are talking about your co-workers."
wet behind the ears
- to be young and inexperienced, to be new in a job or place
The man is still wet behind the ears and does not know very much about his company.
win by a nose
- to win by a very small amount
The young horse won by a nose in the horse race.
with a jaundiced eye
- with a prejudiced or distorted way of seeing something
My friend is very smart but he always looks at everything with a jaundiced eye.
with an eye to (doing something)
- with the intention of doing something
The community center built their new building with an eye to renting it to other agencies in order to make money.
without batting an eye
- casually, without showing alarm/response/thought
The wealthy man gives much money to charity without batting an eye.
-to be able to do something very easily
The car mechanic was able to fix my car with his eyes closed.
all ears
-to be eager to hear something, to be very attentive
My sister was all ears last night when I talked about starting a home business.
all eyes
- to be watching very closely, to be wide-eyed with surprise
My friend is all eyes when he goes to a basketball game.
all eyes are on (someone or something)
- everyone is waiting eagerly for someone to appear or something to happen
All eyes were on the singer when he walked onto the stage.
apple of (someone`s) eye
- someone's favorite person or thing
The young girl is the apple of her father`s eye.
as blind as a bat
-blind, unable to see
The man was as blind as a bat and he could not see anything at all.
as plain as the nose on one's face
-clearly evident, obvious
The explanation for the problem was as plain as the nose on my face.
assault the ears
- to be very loud or persistent
The music was very loud and it assaulted our ears.
(not) bat an eye/eyelid
- to show no surprise or reaction even when something bad happens
Our boss did not bat an eye when we told him that we were going home early today.
believe one`s ears
- to believe what one is hearing, to become sure of something
I could not believe my ears when I heard that I had won a holiday to Mexico.
believe one`s eyes
- to believe what one is seeing
We could not believe our eyes when we saw the three bears on the highway.
bend (someone's) ear
-to talk to someone (usually in an annoying/persistent manner)
I met my co-worker this morning and she bent my ear for almost an hour about her problems at work.
blind leading the blind
-someone who does not know how to do something themselves tries to explain it to other people
It was like the blind leading the blind when I tried to help my friend fix his car. I do not know anything about cars.
blow one's nose
-to use the air from one's lungs to clear one's nose
I took some tissue from my pocket and blew my nose.
can't see beyond the end of one's nose
-to be able to see beyond what concerns one at the present time only
My friend cannot see beyond the end of his nose and he has no idea about what is happening around him.
cast a (critical/professional) eye over (someone or something)
- to look at something in a particular way
The movie director cast a critical eye over the movie script from the writer.
cast an eye over (something)
- to read or look at something quickly
I cast an eye over the report before I went to the meeting.
catch (someone`s) eye
- to attract someone`s attention
I tried to catch my friend`s eye at the movie theater but he did not notice me.
close one's eyes to (something)
-to ignore something, to pretend that something is not really happening
My father closed his eyes to the problems that were happening in his company.
count noses
-to count people
The teacher stopped to count noses before the students got on the bus.
cry one's eyes out
-to cry very hard
The little girl cried her eyes out when she lost her favorite doll.
cut off one`s nose to spite one`s face
- to make things worse for oneself by trying to harm someone/something else
The man cut off his nose to spite his face when he became angry and quit his job.
deaf and dumb
-unable to hear or speak
The young man is deaf and dumb and he has trouble understanding what is happening around him.
eagle eye
-a very careful watchful eye (like the eye of an eagle)
The woman has an eagle eye and she never misses a thing.
ears are burning
- someone is talking about you when you are not there
My ears are burning and I am sure that someone is talking about me.
ears are ringing
- one hears a ringing sound because of a very loud sound
My ears were ringing after the three fire trucks passed me.
ears become red
- one's ears become red from embarrassment
My ears became red when our teacher asked me a question.
evil eye
- the power to harm people just by looking at them (as some people believe)
The man seemed to give me the evil eye when I met him at the ceremony.
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
- a system of punishment where you punish someone in a similar way that they hurt you
Some people call for an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth when they hear of a terrible crime.
eye of the storm
- at the center of a storm/controversy
The company scandal is stressful for everybody and at the moment we are right in the eye of the storm.
eyeball-to-eyeball
-face to face
I had an eyeball-to-eyeball encounter with an angry dog at the park.
eyes are bigger than one`s stomach
- one takes more food than one can eat
My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I went to the restaurant and ordered too much food.
eyes pop out (of one's head)
- one is very surprised
My eyes popped out of my head when I saw the new computer that I got for my birthday.
fall on deaf ears
-to have one's talk or ideas ignored by the person that they are intended for
My complaints to the apartment manager usually fall on deaf ears and nothing is ever done.
feast one's eyes on (someone or something)
-to look at someone or something with pleasure/enjoyment
We stopped at the top of the hill to feast our eyes on some of the best scenery that we have ever seen.
flea in (someone`s) ear
- an idea or answer that is not welcome
The idea about changing the schedules is a flea in the supervisor`s ear.
follow one's nose
-to go straight ahead, to follow a smell to its source
I followed my nose to the place where they were baking the bread.
four eyes
- an expression (often used by children) for someone who is wearing glasses
The children called their friend with the glasses four eyes.
get a black eye
-to get a bruise near one's eye from being hit, to have one's reputation harmed
The little boy got a black eye when he bumped into the door.
get an eyeful (of someone or something)
-to see everything, to see a shocking or surprising sight
We really got an eyeful when we saw the accident on the highway.
get one`s nose out of (something)
- to become uninvolved in something or in someone else's business
I wish that our secretary would get her nose out of my business.
get the eye from (someone)
- to be looked at by someone in a hostile/unfriendly way
We got the eye from the manager of the restaurant when we entered in our old clothes.
give one's eye teeth (to do something)
- to want to do something very much
I would give my eye teeth to go to London with my cousin.
give (someone) a black eye
-to hit someone near their eye so it becomes dark, to hurt someone's reputation
The boy gave his friend a black eye.
The scandal gave the company a black eye.
give (someone) an earful
-to talk to someone in order to criticize or complain about something
I met my supervisor on the weekend and I decided to give her an earful about my job.
give (someone) the eye
- to look at someone in a hostile/unfriendly way
I gave the woman in the restaurant the eye but she ignored me.
go into (something) with one's eyes (wide) open
- to do something or make a choice knowing the problems that are involved and having all the necessary information
The city went into the construction contract with their eyes wide open.
go into (something) with one's eyes closed/shut
- to do something or make a choice not knowing the problems that are involved and not having all the necessary information
The young woman went into her marriage with her eyes closed but still the marriage was very successful.
grin from ear to ear
- to have a big grin on one's face
The man was grinning from ear to ear after he found the money.
hard-nosed
- to be not weak or soft, to be stubborn
The union took a hard-nosed position in the contract negotiations.
hard of hearing
- unable to hear well, partially deaf
My grandfather is hard of hearing.
have a good eye for (something)
- to be able to judge something correctly, to have good taste in something
The woman has a good eye for color and her apartment is beautiful.
have a nose for (something)
- to have the talent for finding something
My friend has a nose for finding cheap items at weekend flea markets.
have an ear for (something)
- to have the ability to learn music or languages
The girl has an ear for languages and she can learn them very fast.
have an ear out for (something)
- to listen carefully for something
I have an ear out for any business opportunities that may appear.
have an eye for (something)
- to be able to judge something correctly, to have good taste in something
My father has an eye for ceramic plates and he has a large collection of them.
have an eye on (someone or something)
- to watch someone or something carefully, to take care of someone or something, to want something
I have my eye on a nice camera that I would like to buy.
have eyes in the back of one`s head
- to have the ability to know what is happening behind one's back
Our teacher has eyes in the back of her head and she always knows what is going on in the classroom.
have nothing between the ears
- to be stupid, to have no brains/intelligence
The young man has nothing between the ears and he is always making stupid mistakes.
have one's ear to the ground
- to listen carefully in the hope of getting advance warning of something
I have my ear to the ground to see if any changes are planned for my company.
have one's eye on (someone or something)
- to want someone or something and hope that you will be able to get it
The woman has her eye on a new job in the company and she is working very hard to get it.
have one's eyes glued to (something)
- to watch something very carefully and not look away from it
Everybody in the airport lobby had their eyes glued to the television screen.
have one's nose in a book
-to be reading a book
The girl had her nose in a book during the long journey.
have one's nose in (something)
- to have unwelcome interest in something, to have impolite curiosity about something
My boss always has his nose in the business of other people so he is not very well-liked.
have one's nose in the air
- to be conceited or aloof
The girl has had her nose in the air ever since she won the speech contest.
have one`s nose to the grindstone
- to work hard or keep busy at something
My friend has his nose to the grindstone and he is studying hard at school.
have (someone's) ear
-to be able to get someone to listen to you (usually someone who has the power or ability to help you)
Our supervisor has the company president's ear and he is able to talk to him anytime.
have (something) coming out of one's ears
- to have much of something
We have towels coming out of our ears and we do not need any more.
have stars in one`s eyes
- to have an appearance or feeling of very great happiness, to be obsessed with show business
The girl had stars in her eyes when she won first prize in the speech contest.
Here's mud in your eye.
- Drink up! (used as a toast)
"Here's mud in your eye," I said as I had a drink with my old friend.
hit (someone) right between the eyes
- to make a strong impression on someone, to surprise someone greatly
The news about the accident hit us right between the eyes and really shocked us.
hold one's nose
- to accept that you have to do something that you do not want to do
I had to hold my nose and sign the legal contract which I did not want to sign.
in a pig's eye
- never
I will never in a pig's eye drive with my friend to visit her family.
in one ear and out the other
-a piece of information is heard and then quickly forgotten
Everything that the teacher said went in one ear and out the other and I did not remember a thing.
in one`s mind`s eye
- in one`s imagination
I tried to relax and in my mind`s eye pretend that I was on a beautiful island.
in the public eye
- visible to all, in public
Very often the wife or husband of a politician does not like to be in the public eye.
in the twinkling of an eye
- very quickly
I went into the store and in the twinkling of an eye I lost my money.
keep an ear out for (something)
- to listen carefully for something
I plan to keep an ear out for any information about a new job for my friend.
keep an eye on (someone or something)
- to watch someone or something carefully, to take care of someone or something
I asked my aunt to keep an eye on our apartment when we went away for our holiday.
keep an eye out for (someone or something)
- to watch for the arrival or appearance of someone or something
I have been keeping my eye out for my grandparents all morning.
keep one's ear to the ground
- to continue to listen carefully in the hope of getting advance warning of something
I am keeping my ear to the ground to see what is going to happen with the new owners of this company.
keep one's eye on the ball
- to remain alert to what is happening around one, to watch or follow the ball carefully while playing a game
I try hard to keep my eye on the ball during a meeting.
keep one's eyes open
- to remain alert and watchful, to notice what is happening around you
I always try to keep my eyes open when I am walking downtown at night.
keep one's eyes peeled for (someone or something)
- to remain alert and watchful for someone or something
I stood at the corner and kept my eyes peeled for my friend and his car.
keep one`s nose clean
- to stay out of trouble
The judge told the young man that he must keep his nose clean in order not to go to jail in the future.
keep one`s nose out of (something)
- to not become involved in something or in someone else's business
I wish that our secretary would keep her nose out of my personal affairs.
keep one`s nose to the grindstone
- to continue to work hard or keep busy at something
My friend is keeping his nose to the grindstone so that he can save enough money to buy a new car.
lay one's eyes on (someone or something)
- to see/find someone or something
"If you lay your eyes on my keys please tell me."
lead (someone) around by the nose
- to make someone do what you want
My sister has been leading her husband around by the nose since they got married.
lend (someone) an ear
- to listen to someone or to what they are saying
I asked my friend to lend me an ear and listen to my problems.
listen to (someone) with half an ear
- to not listen carefully to someone
I listened to my friend with half an ear while the news was on the radio.
look at (someone) cross-eyed
- to do something or look at someone in a way that may provoke anger
If you look at the man cross-eyed he will usually become angry.
look down one`s nose at (someone)
- to look at someone with contempt or dislike, to feel that you are better than someone else
The girl looks down her nose at people who she thinks are not as smart as she is.
look (someone) (right/straight) in the eye
- to face and look at someone directly
I looked at the salesman right in the eye and told him not to bother me again.
make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
- to create something of value out of something of no value
The girl is a terrible singer and she will never become better. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
make eyes at (someone)
- to try to attract someone, to flirt with someone
The woman in the restaurant is always making eyes at the customers.
make oneself heard
- to speak loudly so that you can be heard
The speaker tried very hard in order to make himself heard.
more to (someone or something) than meets the eye
- more interesting/intelligent/complicated than it seems
The problem appeared to be very simple but there was more to it than meets the eye.
naked eye
- the human eye (with no microscope/binoculars/telescope etc.)
It was difficult to see the star with the naked eye.
nose about/around (something)
- to look for something private or secret, to investigate something
The reporters spend a lot of time nosing around the business of famous people.
nose (someone) out
- to push someone away, to exclude someone
The older boy nosed the younger boy out of the line.
not a dry eye in the house
- everybody in an audience feels sad or emotional or cries
There was not a dry eye in the house when the manager gave her farewell speech.
not see farther than or past the end of one's nose
- not to care about anything that is happening to other people or someplace else
My friend cannot see past the end of her nose and she does not know about anything that is happening around her.
on the nose
- in exactly the right place/amount, at exactly the right time
I arrived at 3:00 on the nose.
only have eyes for (someone)
- to be loyal or interested in only one person
The man only has eyes for the woman who works in his office.
open (someone's) eyes to (something)
- to become aware of something
The documentary on television opened our eyes to the problems of the homeless in our city.
out of earshot
- too far from a sound/voice to hear it
I was out of earshot when my friends began to talk about me.
out of the corner of one's eye
- with a quick glance at something
I saw the big truck coming toward me out of the corner of my eye.
out on one's ear
- to be forced to (unwillingly) leave one's job/organization/home
The man did not pay his rent for two months and he was quickly out on his ear.
pay through the nose for (something)
- to pay too much for something
My mother paid through the nose for her new dress and she is very happy with it.
play by ear
- to play a musical instrument by remembering the tune and not by reading the music
My sister learned to play the piano by ear when she was a child.
play it by ear
- to decide what to do in a certain situation when you encounter the situation, to not plan in advance for something
I do not know what time I will be back on Sunday so we should play it by ear to find a good time to meet.
poke one's nose into (something)
- to interfere with something, to be nosy about something
My aunt always pokes her nose into the business of other people.
powder one's nose
- a woman goes to the restroom to put powder on her nose
The singer went to the dressing room to powder her nose before the performance.
prick up one's ears
- to listen more carefully to something (like an animal that moves its ears up to hear better)
When I heard my friends talking about me I quickly pricked up my ears.
pull the wool over (someone`s) eyes
- to deceive someone, to fool someone, to trick someone
The girl tried to pull the wool over her mother`s eyes when she said that she had been studying all weekend.
put a bug in (someone`s) ear
- to give someone an idea
I put a bug in my friend's ear when I said that I would like to go for a holiday with him.
put one's nose to the grindstone
- to keep busy doing one's work
I put my nose to the grindstone and began to work on my final essay for my history class.
put (someone's) eye out
- to puncture or harm someone's eye causing blindness
The man put his eye out when he had the accident with the metal rod.
put (someone's) nose out of joint
- to offend someone, to cause someone to feel insulted
I put my friend's nose out of joint when I asked him to give back the money that he had borrowed from me.
raise eyebrows
- to cause surprise or disapproval, to shock people
I raised eyebrows when I arrived at work two hours late this morning.
rub (someone's) nose in (something)
- to remind someone of something that they have done wrong
The girl's supervisor always rubs the girl's nose in it when she makes a mistake.
see eye to eye (with someone)
- to agree with someone, to have the same opinion as someone else
I never see eye to eye with my friend about which television program to watch.
set one's eyes on (someone or something)
- to see someone or something for the first time
I have not set my eyes on the new car model yet.
set (something) on its ear
- to cause a group/organization to be excited and interested in something
The new plan set most of the company on its ear. Everyone was very excited.
a sight for sore eyes
- a welcome sight
The man was a sight for sore eyes when he came home from his trip.
(no) skin off (someone`s) nose/teeth
- to be of no interest/concern/trouble to someone
It is no skin off my nose as to whether or not I go to the party.
smile from ear to ear
- to have a big smile on one's face
The little boy was smiling from ear to ear after he scored the goal.
spit in (someone's) eye
- to insult or annoy someone
The comments by my supervisor were as if someone had spit in my eye.
stick one's nose into (something)
- to interfere with something, to be nosey about something
I wish that my neighbor would stop sticking his nose into my business.
talk (someone's) ear off
- to talk to someone and bore them
The man beside me on the train talked my ear off during the journey.
thumb one`s nose at (someone or something)
- to look with disfavor or dislike at someone or something, to refuse to obey someone
My friend thumbed his nose at me when I asked him to stop talking so loud.
a tin ear for (something)
- the inability to judge the value of music etc.
The woman has a tin ear for music and she is not a good singer at all.
to the naked eye
- as something is seen exactly as you look at it
To the naked eye it looked like there was little damage to the car but actually there was much damage.
turn a blind eye to (someone or something)
- to ignore someone or something troublesome and pretend not to see it
Our teacher sometimes turns a blind eye to the bad behavior of the students in the class.
turn a deaf ear to (someone)
- to pretend not to hear someone, to not pay attention to someone
The supervisor turned a deaf ear to our complaints about the heat.
turn one`s nose up at (someone or something)
- to reject someone or something, to express scorn for someone or something
My sister turned up her nose at the chance to go to nursing school.
under (someone`s) nose
- easily found by someone, right in front of someone
I thought that I had lost my house keys but I found them right under my nose.
up to one's ears/eyeballs/neck in (something)
- to have a lot of something, to be much involved/busy with something
I have been up to my ears in work for several weeks now.
Walls have ears
- Someone may hear us.
"Walls have ears and you should think carefully about what you say when you are talking about your co-workers."
wet behind the ears
- to be young and inexperienced, to be new in a job or place
The man is still wet behind the ears and does not know very much about his company.
win by a nose
- to win by a very small amount
The young horse won by a nose in the horse race.
with a jaundiced eye
- with a prejudiced or distorted way of seeing something
My friend is very smart but he always looks at everything with a jaundiced eye.
with an eye to (doing something)
- with the intention of doing something
The community center built their new building with an eye to renting it to other agencies in order to make money.
without batting an eye
- casually, without showing alarm/response/thought
The wealthy man gives much money to charity without batting an eye.
