put a bug in someone's ear

1. Give someone a hint about something, as in Janet put a bug in her husband's ear about getting the children a dog for Christmas. This idiom presumably likens the buzzing about of an insect to a hint, although the exact analogy is not clear. [c. 1900]

Example Sentences

I hope I can put a “bug” in someone’s ear to get manufacturers to make windup watches.

From Washington Post