tin ear
noun
an insensitivity to melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic variety in music.
an insensitivity to subtlety or appropriateness in verbal expression: a tin ear for clear, precise prose.
Nearby words
timur, tin, tin can, tin cup, tin difluoride, tin ear, tin fish, tin god, tin hat, tin lizzie, tin pan alley
Origin of tin ear
First recorded in 1915–20
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for tin ear
While McCain was at his most gracious, it was his audience who had the tin-ear.