closed-eared

• close-eared

closed-eared (comparative more closed-eared, superlative most closed-eared)

1. Reluctant or unwilling to listen to new styles of music.

   Antonym: open-eared

   • 1995 November 22, Dave Lavender, “Bluegrass radio stations?”, in rec.music.country.western‎ (Usenet):

     Unfortunately, like the nation's government, we have a bunch of closed-eared baffoons running the nation's country music stations thinking they are cool because they have found Alison Krauss and watering down the airwaves with the young -hat, disco, pop mainstream, line-dance crap.

   • 1996 July 4, Jeff Harrington, “A question about Xenakis”, in rec.music.classical.contemporary‎ (Usenet):

     Ugh... this is what I really hate about musical arguments related to cutting edge music. The characterization that people who prefer this or that genre or flavor (new or old) are conventional or closed-eared, or just plain dull.

   • 2007, William Jelani Cobb, To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic, New York, N.Y.: New York University Press, →ISBN, page 41:

     The casual observer and the closed-eared critic—of which there are many, if not most—misses the increased artistic complexity that characterized each evolving stage of the music.

   • 2009, Richard A. Shweder, editor, The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion, Chicago, I.L.: University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 656:

     Later, when many adolescents become "closed-eared," listening preferences are closely aligned with and guided by peer group norms.

   • 2018, Jacqueline Henninger, “Research-to-Resource: Effective Incorporation of World Music Into the Music Classroom”, in Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, volume 37, number 1, Thousand Oaks, C.A.: SAGE Publishing, →DOI, →ISSN:

     Instead of simply abandoning those opportunities to share new musics when individuals may be perceived as closed-eared, music educators should make an even more concerted effort to share new musics since repetition can be used as an instructional tool to have a positive impact on those levels of receptivity.

2. (rare) Uninterested in listening to others; inattentive.

   Antonym: open-eared

   • 1911, Everybody's Magazine, volume 25, number 6, pages 794–795:

     Press-agents delight in recounting to open-mouthed and closed-eared reporters stories of the humble beginnings of the brilliant stars whose orbits they control.

   • 1992, John Weitz, Hitler's diplomat, New York, N.Y.: Ticknor & Fields, →ISBN, page 201:

     Britain also planned to introduce conscription, more loftily known as National Service, probably yet another blow to the closed-eyed and closed-eared Joachim von Ribbentrop. He would have been even more surprised if he had learned of the convoluted untruths and failed purposes that preceded the British guarantee to Poland.

   • 2001 June 24, jenner, “Anybody got R6 as their first bike?”, in rec.motorcycles‎ (Usenet):

     I think you have pretty good chance of surviving this sport, unlike some other closed eared/minded new riders.

   • 2021 March 26, Daniel Kilkelly, quoting Lisa Riley, “Emmerdale star Lisa Riley promises "every emotion" for Mandy and Paul stunt week”, in Digital Spy‎, archived from the original on 2021-03-26:

     Lydia is still very sceptical of Paul, but Mandy is becoming closed-eared because she doesn't want to hear it.

• closed-earedness