If I thought you were serious, I would give you a thick ear! I’ve been there, don’t forget, and I’ve seen how you are looked up to. You’ve got responsibilities, and you can’t shirk them.
He guesses that it is something to do with education and reflects wryly that all we got was a bible and a thick ear.
And I remember the first time, I poured a whole jugful of water in. Without realizing I was lucky that her hands were stuck in the dough she would have given me a thick ear, you know, for doing that.