{"id":3974,"date":"2022-05-27T04:43:12","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T04:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=3974"},"modified":"2022-05-27T04:43:12","modified_gmt":"2022-05-27T04:43:12","slug":"donkeys-ears-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/donkeys-ears-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Donkeys Ears \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking for a way to express that you haven\u2019t seen someone in ages? You could say that you haven\u2019t seen them in \u201cdonkey\u2019s ears<\/em>.\u201d Is it a donkey\u2019s \u201cears<\/em>\u201d or donkeys \u201cyears<\/em>?\u201d Do both of these sayings have the same meaning? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression \u201cdonkey ears<\/em>\u201d is the original variation of \u201cdonkey's years<\/em>.\u201d Both sayings have the same meaning, referring to a long passage of time. However, the amount of time is relative to the person's situation. For instance, you could say it took your mom donkey\u2019s ears to get ready for the trip to Disneyworld. The excitement made it feel like a long time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Or you could say that you haven\u2019t seen someone in a donkey\u2019s ears after bumping into them more than a decade later. The phrase eventually moved to the more popular version of \u201cdonkey\u2019s years<\/em>,\u201d replacing \u201cears<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cGosh, Don, It\u2019s been donkey\u2019s ears since I saw you last. What\u2019s it five or six years since we were at that concert together?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJeepers, Samantha, it\u2019s been donkey\u2019s ears since I saw you last. You got a new boyfriend and dropped off the map. How have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe it\u2019s you! It\u2019s been donkey\u2019s ears since you came to see us. We\u2019re glad you could make the trip; it\u2019s exciting to have you here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t seen or heard from Alex in over a decade, it\u2019s been donkey ears, and I can\u2019t say I ever want to see him again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis brand has been around for donkey ears. Everyone uses its products, and you won\u2019t find a home in America where this brand isn\u2019t in the kitchen sink cabinet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s donkey ears since anyone was living in that property. I wonder if the owner wants to sell it for a discounted price?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The expression \"donkeys ears\" originates from Cockney rhyming slang. Cockney is a form of English colloquial language spoken by people living in the East End of London. They have many rhyming phrases, such as \"Apple and pears\" and \"donkeys ears.\"<\/p>\n

The phrase has been around since at least the mid-19th century, with the first example of the expression appearing in print in The Salisbury Times in July 1876, where it appears as follows.<\/p>\n

\"Didn't you ask him how long it had been in his possession?<\/p>\n

I can't recollect that. I might have done so.<\/p>\n

Didn't he say for years and years and donkey's years?\"<\/p>\n

The English writer, Edward Verral Lucas, published his novel \"Vermilion Box\" in 1916, where the phrase appears as follows.<\/p>\n

\"Now for my first bath for what the men call 'Donkey's ears,' meaning years and years.\"<\/p>\n

Therefore, the phrase predates its use in Cockney slang by nearly 75 to 100-years.<\/p>\n