the ass waggeth his ears
Preserved but no longer current.
This proverb is applied to those who lack learning, and yet talk as if they were very wise; men wise in their own conceit. The ass, proverbial for having no "taste for music," will nevertheless wag its ears at a "concord of sweet sounds," just as if it could well appreciate it.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the ass waggeth his ears” mean?
This proverb is applied to those who lack learning, and yet talk as if they were very wise; men wise in their own conceit. The ass, proverbial for having no "taste for music," will nevertheless wag its ears at a "concord of sweet sounds," just as if it could well appreciate it.
Is “the ass waggeth his ears” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.