Jamie from Calais, Vermont, says an unfortunate experience with an insect made her wonder about the expression to put a bug in your ear or put a bug in one’s ear, meaning “to make a strong, insistent suggestion to someone.” An older expression, to put a flea in one’s ear, is a translation of a French phrase that also means “to insert an irresistible notion,” particularly an erotic one. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Put a Bug in One’s Ear”
Hello, you have A Way with Words?
Hi there, this is Jamie Morby from Calais, Vermont.
Hello, Jamie, welcome to the show.
Hi there, I had a interesting and rather unpleasant experience a few weeks back that brought up a question about an expression I use. I was going to bed one evening and I felt slash heard a bug of some kind fly and crawl into my ear. And it buzzed around in my ear for probably 20 minutes or half an hour and then stopped buzzing. And so I thought it had flown out, but in the morning I could still feel it. So I went into a doctor and I had it removed. And sure enough, it was a little tiny black fly of some sort. After I had it removed, it got me thinking of an expression that I use fairly regularly that I’m going to put a bug in your ear about something. I might say it if I’m working on a community project and I want somebody’s help with it. I say, I’m just going to put a little bug in your ear about a project I’m working on, see if you’re interested. It got me to wondering if the bug in that expression is an insect or a bug like a listening device.
Oh, okay. That’s where that expression comes from.
Oh, Jamie, well, we’ve sort of run the gamut of emotions here from cringing to just…
I know, right?
No, the bug is a literal bug. It goes back to at least the mid-19th century, this expression of putting a bug in someone’s ear or leaving a bug in someone’s ear. And usually back then it meant to give somebody a suggestion or an idea, particularly one that was sort of irresistible. You know, something as persistent as that bug in your ear.
There’s an older expression to have a flea in one’s ear that goes back to a French phrase. And that goes back much farther, at least to the 16th century, maybe 14th.
Interesting.
Yeah.
And in the original French phrase about putting a flea in someone’s ear, it had to do, again, with insistence, but particularly erotic desire.
Wow.
Yeah.
Yeah, something that, in fact, here’s a little ditty from the 17th century. A longing girl with thoughts of sweetheart in her head. In bed all night will sleepless twirl. A flea is in her ear, Tiz said.
I love it, though. I’m not sure I slept super well that night.
No, I guess not.
Oh, man. Well, I think that’s the first time we’ve had a story like that on the show. Jamie, you’re a rare one. We appreciate the call. Never a dull moment up here in the woods of Vermont. Thank you for calling us. We appreciate it. Take care now.
Absolutely. Thank you so much. Have a great day.
All right. Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
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