The Idiom Attic - a collection of hundreds of English idioms, each one explained.
The meaning of "van goghs ear for music"
" Van Gogh's ear for music "
Meaning:
Tone deaf.
Example:
I'd love to join the choir but my audition was a disaster. The conductor said I had Van Gogh's ear for music.
Where did it originate?:
An ironic joke alluding to Van Gogh's celebrated loss of his ear, coined in Britain in the late 20th century. The source idiom 'ear for music' has been used in Britain since the 18th century.