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Little pitchers have big ears

Posted by ESC on September 04, 2000

In Reply to: Little pitchers have big ears posted by Cheryl on September 04, 2000

: Has anyone heard the origin of the saying: "Little pitchers have big ears"??

LITTLE PITCHERS HAVE BIG EARS - "Children hear and understand more than you think they do. The play here is on the resemblance of the ear to the handle of a pitcher. It is an ancient saying, having been recorded by John Heywood in 1546: 'Auoyd your children, smal pitchers haue wide eares.'" From The Dictionary of Cliches by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985).

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