deaf as a post
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Also, deaf as an adder. Unable to hear or to listen, as in Speak louder, Grandpa's deaf as a post. The first simile has its origin in John Palsgrave's Acolastus (1540): “How deaf an ear I intended to give him ... he were as good to tell his tale to a post.” It has largely replaced deaf as an adder, alluding to an ancient belief that adders cannot hear; it is recorded in the Bible (Psalms 58:3–5).
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Words nearby deaf as a post
dead zone, deaerate, deaf, deaf aid, deaf-and-dumb, deaf as a post, deaf-blind, deafen, deafening, deaf-mute, deafness
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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