Excuse me! Do you have ears to spare?

What would you say if someone asks you this quirky question? Probably give a suspicious look more than a verbal response.

I found the expression in the headline which says, "Obama won't lend Rushmore his ears". It's news item about Barrack Obama's response when asked if he ever envisioned his face carved into Mt Rushmore. The rocky mountain was made into a monument on which the faces of four prominent US presidents were carved. I am pretty sure you are familiar with this mountain.

His reply was, "I don't think my ears would fit". It is obvious that the use of the expression "to lend one's ears" in the headline is only a word play; it is not used to give the real meaning of the expression.

What does the expression mean, then?

This old-fashioned expression, "to lend one's ear",means to listen sympathetically to someone.

Annie always lends a sympathetic ear to her teenage sisters.

Next is an expression for which you all know the Thai equivalent but some of you might not know how to say it in English - "to go in one ear and out the other".

We usually hear this expression from our parents or teachers when they are fed up with us forgetting so quickly what they have just told us.

I have told him a thousand times not to eat while using the computer but it goes in one ear and out the other.

By the way, are any of you musicians? If yes, do you play a piece of music by ear or by reading sheet music?

When a musician plays by ear or plays a piece of music by ear, he/she plays music by relying on memory or sense of tune and harmony.

She can't read the notes so she plays the music by ear.

This is not to be confused with when somebody "plays it by ear", because that means they react or decide what to do in a situation by responding to the actual situation at that moment rather than following a previously made plan.

We don't have any information about what is going to happen at the function today, let's play it by ear.

And I'd like to end this week's column with the last expression, "to be up to one's ears in something". When you are up to your ears in something, it takes all your time and attention or resources.

Jane is a big spender who borrows to spend; I'm not surprised that she is up to her ears in debt.

Complete the sentences with the expressions explained

1.If you need someone to talk to, I will always be there to ...... .

2.You must have been practicing very hard to be able to play this long piece .... .

3.Frank is ....... his research; he did not even have time to take his kids to the park.

4."Do you have any idea what the boss expect us to do over there?" - "Not a clue, I think we will have to ...... ."

5.I don't expect that Ted will remember my instructions; usually whatever you tell him ...... .

Answers: 1. lend my ear, 2. by ear, 3. up to his ears, 4. play it by ear, 5. goes in one ear and out the other

By Parnsap Yomanage

This article was first published in The Nation on June 10, 2008.