The last time that my sister and I were together, I told her that my favorite physical feature is my ears. I like ‘em! It’s one of the reasons I keep my hair short. I’d love to be able to wiggle them, but I can’t. Anecdotal reports suggest that only fifteen percent of the population can wiggle their ears.
At camp we sang this song ALL of the time:
“Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro? Can you tie ‘em in a knot? Can you tie ‘em in a bow? Can you throw them over your shoulder? Like a continental soldier? Do your ears hang low?”
I’d trade my ears in a heartbeat for long plush ones with green stripes inside. Imagine what you’d hear! You wouldn’t miss a thing.
Willa’s got great ears too. Her’s are pink inside, and she can twitch them at will. She can also hold them in a “flying nun” type pose for an extended period.
Can you wiggle your ears?
Oh, by the way, I am part of the sixty-five to eighty percent of the population who can roll their tongue.
© TuesdaysWithLaurie.com
Tuesdays with Laurie 
Well, I never thought about that before and I prefer my hair long, so most of the time my ears remain hidden, unless I put my hair up in a pony tail or bun. I am not familiar with that song either, but it would make a great nursery rhyme. And yes, I can roll my tongue too; not that I do it often, though! Can you wink both eyes? 😉
Fatima — You tongue-roller, you. And yes, like you I can wink both eyes 😉
I knew it! Me, just about!
HI Laurie,
I can certainly wiggle my ears, but no way can I roll my tongue.
Winking both eyes I can do – I was often a winner of the “Murder” game in my university days.
Ted — “Murder” game? Now I’m really intrigued! 🕵️♀️
I can’t do either! My father could wiggle his ears and he was happy to oblige and demonstrate his skill, but it doesn’t run in the family (none of his brothers or his sister can do it and I can’t). But I don’t mind my ears… (I also prefer my hair short). Thanks for a fun post.
Olga — I’m glad you enjoyed this post. Thank you for letting me know 🙂
When my son was about five years old our family was sitting at the dinner table together when he announced out of the blue: “I can wiggle my ears.” We all laughed and brushed him off. Then he astonished us by wiggling his ears! We couldn’t believe it! The rest of us spent the remainder of the meal contorting our faces in all directions trying to do it too. None of us could.
How he figured out he could wiggle his ears, I’ll never know, but it made for a hilarious dinner together.
All four of us can roll our tongues. 🙂
Arlene — I loved the story of when your son was about five and entertained the family with his dual-ear-wiggling antics 👂👂
I have no talent, Laurie–no ear wiggles nor tongue rolls!
LoisaJay — You’re in good company; loads of folks are non-ear-wiggling tongue-rollers.
Ha! I feel better, Laurie!
You must be a hoot at a pajama party. I’m inviting you to my next one.
Janet — I’m going to hold you to that promise 🙂
I can roll my tongue, but I can’t wiggle my ears. I used to sing that song when my boys were little. Go figure: I can’t remember what I went into a room to get, but I can remember the lyrics to that Ears Hang Low song. 😄
Carrie — Your comment about not remembering the item you went to get, but remembering the lyrics to the Ears Hang Low song made me laugh 😂
😁
I can touch my nose with my tongue. My sisters always were amazed at that, while they made fun of my crinkled-over weird ears. Aren’t siblings wonderful? They teach us to handle barbs and minor bullying. I recognize the difference between theirs and the relentless shaming some kids get a school, on the bus and playground. And I wouldn’t have the nerve to put my rolled up tongue online but kudos to you! (Actually there’s a white spot on the end of my tongue my dentist and doctor have been watching for years; it stays the same but I’m sure friends notice it when I talk.) So, yes, I have issues. And can’t wiggle my ears.
Melodie — You’re one of the VERY FEW people I know who can touch their nose with their tongue! And yes, thank goodness for familial interaction that gets us ready for the world 🌎
Fun post today. I can do both things.
Craig — I suspected all along that your talents extended well beyond that of authorship 📚
Ha ha.
You are the perfect earring model, Laurie. Each of my mother’s brothers could do something funny or strange. Uncle Landis could click his false teeth up and down on his gums, Uncle Leroy could wiggle his ears, both at the same time, Uncle Clyde’s hand-shake included a tickle with his index finger on the palm of my hand, and Uncle Abe could play his harmonica strapped around his neck with no hands.
I have a hard time winking without looking like a contortionist. And I definitely can’t wiggle my ears but I do remember the camp song! 🙂
Marian — Thank you for relaying your uncles’ antics; it made me laugh 😂
I can´t wiggle my ears no matter how hard I try. I am one of the few women I know who does not have pierced ears. I like short hair too but my ears are usually covered. You look so cute rolling your tongue!!
Darlene — You are much better behaved than I am. I begged, kicked, screamed, and hollered to get my ears pierced. My mom finally caved because she just couldn’t take it any more! 🙂
My mom and my daughter got their ears pierced at the same time and wanted me to join them but I refused. I just couldn’t see the point! I’m sure I made a big fuss about other things I wanted. to do.
Darlene — You were right to stick to your guns. I know someone who just got her ears pierced and is now experiencing “buyers remorse” regarding her decision.
Very talented. I do remember that little ditty. I’m deficient in the ear wiggling or tongue rolling categories. However, my claim to facial fame is dimples! When I was quite young, my paternal grandmother told me that the dimples were where the angels kissed me. Quite a sweet thing to say! Especially since I later learned, dimples are actually caused by a calcium deficiency.
Audrey — I have seen your dimples in person and they’re wonderful!
I can check off “learn something new every day” for today with the “dimples are actually caused by a calcium deficiency.” Who knew?!
Thanks, Laurie. I’ve also heard that dimples may be caused by a muscle shortness. Wiki says: “Dimples may be caused by variations in the structure of the facial muscle known as zygomaticus major. Specifically, the presence of a double or bifid zygomaticus major muscle may explain the formation of cheek dimples.[3]”
Fortunately, it looks just fine!
Audrey — Well I’ll be darned! Whatever the reason, you definitely wear it well 🙂
I knew a woman who could curl her tongue one side up, one down. I wouldn’t lie about a thing like this 😆
Ana — Now I’m LAUGHING! 😂
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I cannot wiggle my ears. I cannot roll my tongue. That sounds like the beginning of a poem, but I cannot write poetry either. 😀
Patricia — Your comment made me laugh 😂
I can’t wiggle my ears, but I’m a great tongue roller! Never heard your cute camp song before but would love to gather us all up for a sing-along. You have beautiful ears, and if mine looked like yours, I wouldn’t be growing my hair out to a longer style. Love the lift this gave me this morning!
Sherry — From one tongue-roller to another, I’m glad this post gave you a lift this morning 🙂
I tried and couldn’t wiggle my ears but was able to roll my roll tongue. Thanks for bringing me a smile, Laurie.
Jolma — I’m so glad this post triggered a smile today 🙂
I just tried it and I can roll my tongue too. : ) You’re so much fun to hang out with, Laurie.
I was always trying to hide my ears under my hair–to no avail. But then someone kind said, “You have elf princess ears.” Now I don’t mind if my ears peek out. Thank heavens for kind people.
Leanne — Yaaaay you tongue-roller, you! And I ❤️ that you have “elf princess ears.”
Nope, my ears do not wiggle. I just got them pierced for the first time ever a few months ago. Now I sort of wished I just left them alone, but I do admit hoop earrings look pretty great with my short hair. I can roll my tongue!
Jeri — I think hoop earrings look especially nice with short hair. If you attend the NFAA meeting in Meridian tomorrow night, maybe I’ll get a chance to see yours in person 🙂
I’m still trying to get back in the swing of things with attending stuff.
Jeri — I absolutely understand! 🙂
I can’t do those things, nor can I do a lot of things I used to do when I was much younger. But the memories linger on and I can see myself at age eight skating on a frozen pond and promising myself I would be an olympic skater. Didn’t happen but I loved the dreaming about what I could do!
Joan — Joan — Ohhh, I can picture you in my mind’s eye dreaming of becoming an olympic skater! ⛸️
Yep, I can wiggle my ears and roll my tongue. 😀 … the ear wiggling uses the same muscles as a big yawn does. 🙂
Widdershins — Thank you, I just learned ANOTHER thing today. I didn’t know that ear wiggling and big yawning use the same muscles!
Give it a go, see what happens! 😀
Oh Widdershins is going have us all yawning while we look in the mirror to see if our ears are wiggling… too fun Laurie and Widdershins! I can roll my tongue but no ear wiggling… yet! 😉
Terrill — Then I’m in good company and we’re in the same boat: tongue-rolling, non ear-wigglers! 🙂
I like my ears too! They have never been fat!
Coastal Crone — 😂😂😂😂
I used to use tongue curling to teach my students ratios. I was surprised at the time to see that most people can do it ’cause I can’t. But, I CAN wiggle my ears.
Dennis — The use of tongue curling to teach your students ratios is brilliant! 🙂
I can neither wiggle my ears nor curl my tongue, Laurie. To bad for me! LOL! I must say that I have never given my ears much thought at all, and I think it’s rather great you have identified yours as a favorite part of YOU! Lots of fun here. 🙂
Debra — I’m glad you found a dash of fun in this post. I had fun writing it 🙂
Laurie, I lost the ability to wiggle my ears as I got older, I wasn’t willing to contort my face anymore after Mom promised me my face would be like that forever should the wind change. Since I was a master at the scary face game, I felt my odds of being struck and stuck with an unfortunate face were real dang good and coming soon. I can roll my tongue but that’s it for fancy tricks for me, my best one is standing amazed at all the neat stuff other people can do!
Sandi — I can remember being told that if I crossed my eyes (which I was fond of doing), they would get stuck that way. Like you, I didn’t want my face to feeze in an unfortunate or grimacing pose, so I stopped doing it 🙂
Wiggle my ears are you mad ? No but I wish I could . Oh and to have ears like your rabbit would be fun . Willa has beautiful ears and so do you dear Laurie .
We do that curly tongue thing in the summer in Yoga …if you breath through a curly tongue it’s rather cooling …you are a yogi maybe you know , if not why not try it
Cherryx
Cherry — yes, Yes, YES! You’ve hit the nail on the head.
Sitali pranayama (breathing through a “taco tongue”) is extremely beneficial. As is Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) done by holding one nostril closed to inhale, and then switching nostrils to exhale (then reversing the inhale/exhale nostrils). Aaaaaaa, I feel better already 🙂
Can roll tongue. I work hard at relaxing my face jaw and head muscles, I think I could wiggle my ears as my father could the continuous headaches are not worth it. The jaw going out of joint not worth it. Relax relax relax and stand up straight more important to me. I have excellent listening ears.
Patricia — Brilliant listener, you. If I’m not mistaken, you’re known as “Wise Ears.” 🙂
HaHaHaHa. Yep!
I think every child learns that song, especially in my day and age, and we went through all the motions. I especially liked standing tall like a ‘continental soldier,’ salute and all.
Rose — yes, Yes, YES! Salute and all! 🙂
I’m all ears, and I can wiggle ’em. : )
FakeFlamenco — Ya gotta love it! 🙂
No ear wiggling for me I am afraid. But, I am an expert tongue roller. I really haven’t given much thought to liking or not liking ears. My ears are rather small, they seem to look ok to me.
ThatBlogWhereCheriMovesToGermany — I bet your ears are perfectly proportioned to your head, you expert tongue roller, you! 🙂
🙂
Never possessed that dexterity though when I was younger I could bend them into a box!! Ha!
Sam — You crack me up! 🤣