prick up one's ears
Meaning: To suddenly start listening closely.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The kids pricked up their ears at the words "ice cream."”
Category: Animals
Origin: Horses and dogs raise their ears when something catches their attention. The figurative use is found in the late 16th century; in Shakespeare's The Tempest, Ariel says of some listeners that "like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears."
Equivalents in other languages
- French: faire dresser l’oreille — literally: to make the ear stand up
- Polish: strzyc uszami — literally: to crop ears
More idioms — Animals
- stir up a hornet's nest — To cause a lot of trouble or anger, often by provoking people.
- drunk as a skunk — Extremely drunk.
- kick against the pricks — To resist authority or fate in a way that only hurts oneself.
- hell for leather — As fast as possible.
- buy a pig in a poke — To buy something without examining it first.
- a Trojan horse — Something that seems harmless but hides a threat inside.
More English idioms
- rise from the ashes — To be reborn or rebuilt after destruction or failure.
- one's blood runs cold — To be filled with sudden fear or horror.
- poke one's nose into — To pry or interfere in matters that do not concern one.
- rot one's brain — To dull one's mind through mindless activity.
- put someone back on their feet — To help someone recover, financially, physically or emotionally.
- go down fighting — To keep struggling until the very end, even when defeat is certain.
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