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Prick up your ears

Prick up your ears

Meaning

Listen very carefully – like a dog or horse with erect ears.

Examples

Prick up your ears folks – this is important and I’ll only be saying it once.

Where did it originate?

Britain, 16th century.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Prick up your ears

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