Dictionary

ear to the ground en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) The practice or characteristic of carefully gathering information; a state or mindset of attentiveness.
   • TIME Justice Department correspondent Elaine Shannon is keeping her ear to the ground as candidates' names start to pop up. 2001 May 3, Elaine Shannon, Jessica Reaves, “Who'll Follow Freeh Into the FBI Corner Office?”, in Time:
   • Congress never enacts a measure which is believed to oppose public opinion;—your Congressman keeps his ear to the ground. 1903, Charles W. Chesnutt, “The Disfranchisement of the Negro”, in The Negro Problem:
   • “There's no telling what a man might happen onto accidentally if he travels with his ear to the ground.” 1910, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 3, in A Texas Ranger:
   • The tavern keeper's an old friend of mine—we was shipmates when we was younger—and he sort of keeps his ear to the ground for me. 1990, David Eddings, Sorceress of Darshiva, →ISBN, page 148:
2. (attributive, qualifier:usually hyphenated) Pursuing the practice or having the characteristic of carefully gathering information; well-informed.
   • The ear-to-the-ground President knew that all the unrest could not be blamed on Communists. 1949 August 29, “Chile: Fast Work”, in Time:

Forms

Relateds

keep a weather eye open

Translations (9)

pl bycie czujnym (the practice of carefully gathering information) · es estar bien informado (the practice of carefully gathering information) · gd cluas ri claisneachd (the practice of carefully gathering information) · fr rester à l'écoute (the practice of carefully gathering information) · bg наострям уши (the practice of carefully gathering information) · es procurar estar informado (the practice of carefully gathering information) · es seguir informado de que sucede (the practice of carefully gathering information) · fr être à l'écoute (the practice of carefully gathering information) · ru преврати́ться в слух (the practice of carefully gathering information)