Little pitchers have big ears
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Adults must be careful about what they say within the hearing of children. The saying refers to the large handles (ears) sometimes attached to small vessels.
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Words nearby Little pitchers have big ears
littleneck, little office, little owl, Little Pee Dee River, little people, Little pitchers have big ears, littler, “Little Red Riding Hood”, Little Rhody, Little Richard, Little Rock
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Idioms and Phrases with Little pitchers have big ears
little pitchers have big ears
Young children often overhear something they should not. For example, Don't use any swear words around Brian—little pitchers have big ears. This metaphoric expression, which likens the curved handle of a pitcher to the human ear, was already in John Heywood's proverb collection of 1546.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.