rubber ear
n.— «While Scots have never been backward about coming forward with complaints, they stand more chance of getting the rubber-ear treatment than anywhere else. According to the survey, 15 per cent of Scots interviewed complained that their complaints had been ignored.» —“No Whine Please, We’re Scots!” Scottish Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) Aug. 22, 1994. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A kerfuffle is a fuss, bother, or disturbance. It’s from Scots curfuffle, likely from Scottish Gaelic car, meaning “turn,” “bend,” or “twist,” plus fuffle, a Scots word that means “to disorder” or “to ruffle.” Early forms like carfuffle and...
Is there such a thing as a “neutral” accent, and if so what does it sound like? And that quirk in the way southern Californians talk about freeways. They’ll say things like take the 405 and get on the 8. Why the definite article...