It could have originally been “donkey’s ears” It sounds odd, but actually makes way more sense ― the original saying could have been “donkey’s ears.” None other than Susie Dent ...

How about the donkey's skillful ears or the way the animal can act as a guide for livestock? Want to learn more? Keep reading ...

In it the donkey—ears back, hind legs poised to deliver a vicious blow⁠—is labelled “COPPERHEAD PAPERS”, a reference to the newspapers sympathetic to a faction of anti-war Democrats ...