The meaning of A CLIP ROUND THE EAR is a hit on the ear. How to use a clip round the ear in a sentence. clip round the ear: A soft but firm strike with the hand delivered to the side of the head, characteristically by a parent to a child.
[The strike] is designed. A CLIP ROUND/ON THE EAR definition: 1. a quick hit on the side of someone's head: 2.
a quick hit on the side of someone's head:.. Definition of clip around the ear in the Idioms Dictionary. clip around the ear phrase.
What does clip around the ear expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. 5 "Clip" commonly refers to a device for holding things together. One dictionary says it's "of unknown origin, first occurring in the 15th century." In such phrases as "giving him a clip around the ear", where does the word come from? Discover the significance and history behind the British idiom 'a clip round the ear.' Understand its origin, usage in contemporary and historical contexts, and equivalent expressions.
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English a clip round the ear/earhole British English informal a short hit on the side of someone's head → clip Examples from the Corpus a clip round the ear/earhole You might get a clip round the ear. Clip around the ear definition: quick hit on the ear. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, related words.
A "clip on the ear" (or "clip around the ear") is a quick sharp hit to the side of someone's head. It might or might not involve contact with the ear itself, but is definitely a blow or slap and not a pinch. Parents and teachers would use physical force as a means of disciplining children who misbehaved, with the "clip round the ear" being a common form of punishment for minor offenses.
Over time, the use of physical punishment has become less acceptable, and the term "clip round the ear" has taken on a more negative connotation.