to play it by ear = to improvise rather than plan
“My friends and I hadn’t booked any part of our trip, but ‘played it by ear’, queuing in sweaty ticket office lines and taking it in turns to fetch water …”
to be up to one’s ears in work = to have lots of work to do
“In the meanwhile, Mrs. Lopez was up to her ears in work. Suddenly, she became aware of what it takes to run a house of four people.”
to prick up one’s ears = to listen attentively
“This caught my attention and I pricked up my ears even though I had given up my faith long since.”
to come out of ears = to have too much of something
“Danny Howard has come a long way in a few years, 2014 sees him now with hit albums under his belt, successful radio shows coming out of his ears…”
to have steam coming out of one’s ears = to be very angry
