earwork

English

Etymology

From ear +‎ work.

Noun

earwork (uncountable)

1. (humorous) The practice of listening.
   • 1971, MotorBoating, volume 127, number 1, page 153:

     Until the millennium, the buyer's best course of action is to do a little earwork: most boat owners who are happy with their dealer-skipper relationship will talk your ear off about it.

   • 1944, Ernest Hemingway, Second Battle of Britain:

     […] he is simply a man who, not understanding very well the nature of the propositions offered over the telephone due to faulty earwork, constantly finds himself involved in the destruction of these monsters in their hellish lairs […]