Comments on: Funny Bones, 1892

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:58:07 +0000

Ouch! Thanks for that, suzy, and may I never get closer to the experience than reading your description! I’m going to link to your comment in my sideblog so that readers who were part of this discussion last week will see it.

And welcome to Keepa. If you find that you especially like one kind of post, click on “Topical Guide” at the top lefthand corner of the page. That will take you to a listing of all past posts, roughly sorted by type. And I hope you’ll become a frequent commenter.

By: suzysnowflake

suzysnowflake — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:29:34 +0000

Hi! I have just discovered your blog recently, and I have been reading “older posts” today. I thought you would like to know exactly what the procedure is for “boxing” someone’s ears. It is done with the hands flat(like a slap),you bring both hands rapidly to each side of the head,aimed so the palms completely cover the opening to the ear canal and slap hard. The objective is to trap as much air as possible in the ear canal so that it puts pressure on the eardrums causing pain!!! I know it was common in victorian times in England and the US. I believe it is mainly a european type of “discipline” It was explained to me by a woman who was born and raised in Germany. Her mother had done this so many times to her,with the consequence of multiple ruptured .eardrums,that she lost all hearing in one ear.I hope this practice is no longer used anywhere!!!
On a lighter note, I am enjoying your posts immensely.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:21:14 +0000

That’s what I thought, Ardis, but I always imagined it coming in stereo.

Otherwise it’s just being whacked upside the head.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:04:34 +0000

C’mon on over, FHL, and I’ll demonstrate “boxing your ears” for you … (is there a smiley for a wicked little devil?) I’ve always pictured it as a forceful slap with an open palm, but don’t know just how I formed that mental image.

By: FHL

FHL — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:10:00 +0000

I’ve seen the phrase “boxed my ears” enough times in print, but I don’t have a really good mental image for it. Anyone have an idea? Hopefully not from personal experience!

(Also not sure about “sucked my teeth” that I saw in a British book, but I can sort of imagine something like it.)