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Glite Dictionary
to talk someone's ear off

to talk someone's ear off

7.5
Speak to someone for a very long time in a way that annoys them
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : hablarle hasta el cansancio
  • At the party last night, he started to talk my ear off about his new job projects and didn't let me get a word in.

Examples

Synonyms

to run on
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
38 5.0

To talk for a long time without stopping, often giving too many details

is similar but does not require continuous narration or irrelevance
to drone on
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
10 6.0

Talk for a long time in a boring, flat voice

is about lengthy speaking but without requiring monotone delivery
to rattle on
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
5 6.6

To talk for a long time about small boring things

is similar but can apply to serious as well as trivial topics
to yap
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
2 7.7

To talk a lot in an annoying, noisy way

is broader and also covers quiet but long annoying speech
to bend your ear
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
1 7.9

To talk to someone for a long time in a way that annoys them

is broader and covers long annoying speech without persistence
to yap away
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
1 8.4

To talk without stopping in an annoying way

is a general term for long speaking not necessarily nagging
to yack away
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
1 9.1

Talk for a long time in a way that annoys other people

is a wider phrase for long tiresome speaking without nonstop tone
to witter
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • UK
1 9.3

To talk for a long time about unimportant things in a boring way

is broader covering long speaking that may include important subjects
to talk someone's leg off
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • UK
8.1

Speak with someone for a very long time until they get tired

is the general very long and tiresome speaking rather than extreme exhaustion
to talk your arm off
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
8.4

To speak to someone for a very long time until they get tired of listening

is the general phrase for long tiresome speaking without topic focus
to bend someone's ear
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
7.9

Talk to someone for a long time about personal things and often annoy them

is more general and covers long speaking on any topic
to jaw away
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
8.5

To talk for a long time in a casual or boring way

is the general long speaking but can be more formal or serious
to gassing
vsto talk someone's ear off
  • UK
8.1

To talk a lot about unimportant things

is more negative and stresses being tiring rather than merely chatty

How Long

to talk someone's ear off
  • Informal
7.5
to ramble on
  • Informal
15 6.2
to talk
∞ 1.0
to chat
  • Informal
269 1.0
to whisper
586 1.0

Surface Forms

talk someone's ear off infinitive
talked someone's ear off past
talked someone's ear off past participle
talking someone's ear off present participle
talks someone's ear off third person singular

Morphology

talk + someone's + ear + off

The literal parts ('talk' + someone's 'ear' + 'off') give a clear metaphorical image of speaking so much that the listener's ear is figuratively removed, so the constituents hint at excessive or tiresome talking. However, the body-part + 'off' hyperbolic construction is idiomatic and not fully predictable from the words alone, so a B1 learner who has not seen the expression may not reliably infer the exact sense without exposure.

Etymology

Talk someone's ear off may come from a funny image: someone talks so much that the listener's ear comes off. That's why it means 'to talk to someone for a very long time' and makes the listener tired.