tin ear
- 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.
- cauliflower ear.
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Origin of tin ear
First recorded in 1915–20
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for tin ear
Contemporary Examples
While McCain was at his most gracious, it was his audience who had the tin-ear.
