[Grammar] HIT OVER THE EAR

[EverLivingPoet]

If I got "hit over the ear", does it mean the area of my head above my ear was hit, or that my ear took a direct hit?

 

[bhaisahab]

If I got "hit over the ear", does it mean the area of my head above my ear was hit, or that my ear took a direct hit?

I would take it to mean "above the ear".

 

[EverLivingPoet]

What about getting "hit over the head"?

 

[bhaisahab]

What about getting "hit over the head"?

What about it?

 

[EverLivingPoet]

Getting "hit over the head" seems to mean getting "hit on the head", but getting "hit over the ear" doesn't mean getting "hit on the ear".....

 

[bhaisahab]

Getting "hit over the head" seems to mean getting "hit on the head", but getting "hit over the ear" doesn't mean getting "hit on the ear".....

It's one of the joys of English.

 

[Tdol]

I think it could depend on the context; if, say, it were a boxer talking, I would imagine it to be above, but if someone were smacked, it could be on the ear.

 

[emsr2d2]

To add to the confusion, we also talk about "a clip round the ear". This is when you give someone a short, sharp smack on one ear (I tried to find a video of this on Google but with no success).

I have no idea why it's a clip round the ear!