Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Idioms 260. The idiom today is to fall on
deaf ears. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. If something that you are
telling someone falls on deaf ears, it means that information is being ignored.
Yeah. It basically means they don't want to hear it. So we could we could see where
the origin comes from. Obviously, they can really hear what you're saying, they just
don't want to hear what you're saying. So they make their ears deaf. So that's why
we say it falls on deaf ears. Because we know they won't listen to you. They
ignore you. So that's what we mean by this phrase. So again it's kind of a
humorous way to express this idea. That it doesn't matter what you say to
somebody then they don't plan on listening to you. We often use it with
complaints you know, like complaints will fall on deaf ears. Pleas for help will
fall on deaf ears. Advice you could give somebody advice but they don't really
want to listen to it, So your advice could fall on deaf ears.
So we especially use it with things like this. Okay. Let's look at this. We have
four examples here. Example number one. We sent letters to our Congressman about
this issue, but our cries for help fell on deaf ears. Yes. So they sent a lot
of complaints but nothing was done. Nothing happened. Nothing came about . All
right. Let's look at number two. I have often tried to give her advice but all
my suggestions fell on deaf ears. So maybe you tried to give this person
advice a lot. And you thought they should have took it, but really maybe they
didn't really ...never really wanted to take it. They never took it and probably maybe
this ended up with a bad result. So you're saying , well you tried to warn
them. You tried to help them , but they wouldn't listen . All your advice fell on
deaf ears. Okay. Let's look at number three.
It doesn't matter how many names you put on that petition. Most of Congress is
bought and paid for. Your pleas fall on deaf ears because they only care
about who is giving them political donations. All right. So all right so
remember a lot of times even the government itself has a lot of petitions.
There's a website where you can sign up if you get so many names then they're
supposed to respond to it. Well a lot of times those things fill up with a lot of
names. They don't always give you a real response. They don't really always
address it, but they do have a website where you can do it. But you know a lot
of times even some things with a lot of names sometimes ends up falling on deaf
ears. Okay good and the last one here. Number four. That company already made up
its mind. Meaning it already decided. Maybe you can't change it anymore. Even
if you send in a thousand complaints, they will fall on deaf ears. So you send
a lot more complaints. They made up their mind already. It's not likely it's going to
change. Everything you say to them is falling on deaf ears. They refuse to
listen to it. Okay. Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope it was clear. Thank you for your time.
Bye-bye.