Being “On Your Ear” Can Mean to Be Upset

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Susan from Charlotte.

Hi, Susan. Welcome to the show.

Hi, Susan.

I have a phrase that I’m curious about. It’s a phrase that my mother used when I came home a little unexpectedly late one night as a teenager. She greeted me at the door and she said, I have been on my ear all night. And I knew what that meant because of her tone of voice in the situation, but I don’t know where that phrase comes from. And I even used it in a short story once describing a similar situation. No one in my writer’s group had a clue what I meant.

Yeah, I’m kind of surprised that folks in your writer’s group didn’t know that expression because it’s been around for quite a while. To be up on your ear means to be angry or agitated or embarrassed. Or you might say to somebody if they’re upset with you, now don’t get up on your ear. You know, don’t be angry or indignant. And versions of this have been around since at least the 1860s in this country. To spin around on your ear means to get violently angry or to go off on your ear means to go away angry or to slide out on your ear means to leave a place angry. Or you can tell somebody to go to hell by saying, walk off on your ear.

And you’ll appreciate this, Susie. We even have letters that a young Harry Truman wrote to his future wife, Bess, in 1913. And in one of those, he uses the expression describing how he failed to show up one day for his dad. His dad was waiting on him and was not happy that Harry was keeping him waiting. And he wrote to Bess, Mama says he was on his ear in proper fashion when I wasn’t there to meet him.

Oh my, okay. So I guess you’re wondering why ear? Because it’s a weird expression, right?

It’s a very weird expression. And I’m wondering because we’re from the South, does it have anything to do with the South or is it from elsewhere?

I don’t think it’s particularly limited to the South and we’re not entirely sure why that expression arose. I mean, to my mind, if you’re on your ear, then something’s very wrong. You’re not standing upright or, you know, your nose is out of joint. Your body parts aren’t where they’re supposed to be. But there’s another line of thinking that maybe because early, early expressions had to do with walking off on one’s ear or waltzing off on one’s ear, that it might have to do with having an attitude of anger or smugness, and you sort of cock your head to one side. So we really don’t know the origin of it.

It is an Americanism, though, right? It was never used in the U.K.

Yeah, not that we know of. Not in this way. There are other expressions that have to do with being on one’s ear, but they don’t mean this, and they’re not used in this way.

Well, that’s very enlightening. Thank you.

Well, we’re glad to help.

Thank you so much, Susan. We appreciate your time.

Yes, thank you. I appreciate the information. Y’all have a good day.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

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