这种说法来头还不小,出自《圣经·新约·提摩太后书》第4章第3节。基督的使徒保罗劝勉其门徒Timothy(提摩太)要精彩布道,用意趣横生的讲解激发听众的兴趣:For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine;but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.(有时候,他们会厌烦听纯正的教义,但如果你能激发听者听的欲望,他们就会聚拥于师傅周围。)
显然,保罗口中”to have itching ears“(听的欲望)可不是让信徒“听八卦”,但随着岁月的流逝,“to have itching ears”现常用来喻指“好打听,爱听新奇的事”。看下面这个例句:Yesterday Mrs.Humphry asked me whether I had heard my neighbors quarrelling with each other;she has itching ears.(昨天,汉弗莱太太问我是否听见邻居吵架了;她就爱听个新鲜事。)
问一句:Ladies and gentlemen, do you have itching ears?