ProverbWisdom
English origin1546
English origin1546Pitchers have ears
Meaning: Small vessels amplify sound, so careless words spoken nearby may reach unintended listeners.
Origin: Short for "little pitchers have big ears": the handles of a jug were called ears, and small children, like small jugs, hear more than adults think. John Heywood's 1546 collection advises, "Avoid your children, small pitchers have wide ears," and Shakespeare uses "pitchers have ears" in Richard III.
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