What does the phrase "bang on the ear" mean?

June 3, 2004 11:59 AM

Waterboys question: What the heck is a "bang on the ear"?
posted by luser to Grab Bag (6 answers total)

Looking at the whole paragraph. Say he was young and tried gaining her attention by finger flicking the back of her ear when she was not looking. Like plucking a bra strap, snap!
posted by thomcatspike at 12:34 PM on June 3, 2004

These folks are the best, although you might have to register (free) with Delphi to see the forum. I'll ask them for you; it's been too long since I stopped in there.
posted by Shane at 12:40 PM on June 3, 2004

Response by poster: I was thinking it was just Irish colloquial for "kiss?" Like a friendly peck on the cheek, except on the ear? Any Irish round here?
posted by luser at 1:42 PM on June 3, 2004

Hi Shane,
welcome back!
To quote the FAQ from www.mikescottwaterboys.com:
A bang on the ear is "a term of affection".
Cheers,
Michael

I know: Now you want to know where the term came from. So do I. I'll Google.
posted by Shane at 2:13 PM on June 3, 2004

...although I suppose it means a cuff on the ear, only affectionate-like :-) It can be a bad thing, too. Great song, by the way. Google's not much help.

Book review: And a bang on the ear to Tor for re-releasing these long out of print tales!
posted by Shane at 2:28 PM on June 3, 2004

I just figured it had something to do with the sound of the music he makes connecting with the ears of the ones that got away.
posted by bingo at 3:57 PM on June 3, 2004