Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Wondering about ear lobes.

Have you ever wondered why we have earlobes.  Now don't tell me that we have them so that there is a good place to hang earrings!!  I have earlobes but they have never had ear rings hanging from them.  Doesn't most all the parts of the body have some particular use?  Over time the body parts that have no use anymore seem to disappear.  So why do we have earlobes?  They must be important or genetics would have changed them or removed them.  They are not the part of the ear that collects and funnels the sound waves into the ear canal.  So, what are they for?  I have no idea.  I sure would like to hear from you all on what you think their purpose is.

I don't believe anyone knows.  Some speculation is that maybe we used to run around on all fours and they would hang down over the ear canal protecting it.  Now that doesn't make much sense to me.  They would have to walk upside down on their hands for that to work.  All those great minds can't say they don't know, they just have to come up with some reason no matter how far fetched it is.  Now that starts me to wondering; what is the origin of the term "far fetched"?  Now, you all have a great day and walk upright but let your ear lobes hang down.  In other words, just be your natural self and have a very great day, you hear?

14 comments:

  1. They are a bug deterrent. When a bug is crawling up your neck to go into your ear canal, it gets to the earlobe where you can feel it and smack it. Thus your earlobe saves your hearing from bugs.

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  2. Since people have been affixing sticks and rings to them for millenia, I'm going to say that they serve the purpose of holding an earring.

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  3. Dizzy the way the ear is shaped is to keep water out of your ear I think it has the same purpose as a drip loop. I'll let you google image of a drip loop

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  4. HAHAHaasaa Barney...

    I say they're designed to be symmetrical ... the yin and yang.. top/bottom.

    Your ear holes need something on the outside of 'em. might as well be pretty. Clark Gable, Will Smith and my cousin had sails for ears.

    Cousin's nickname in school was, Sails. wonder why some have sails for ears or lay down dainty ears. It is indeed a mighty fine ponder.

    I think dog ears are something to really ponder. I mean perky or floppy and even a combination ~ one up ear and one down ear ~ especially when they're curious ... and some are so low they step on 'em! now that's fun.

    far fetched ... origin? well? you got me curious...

    This will do...

    The adjective 'far-fetched' first appeared in the mid 1500's replacing the earlier term 'far-fet' meaning forced or strained. 'Fetched' comes from the Old English 'fecchen' meaning to go and get. "Far-fetched' describes something that was gotten from afar. It came to mean something that was unlikely or a far distance away from the truth.

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  5. Barney, that makes sense to me. If they are big enough you could stuff them in your ear and use as ear plugs for sleeping.

    Gypsy, That's as good a reason as any. But remember Dumbo the flying elephant. . .

    Justastick, that makes sense and I do know what a drip loop is. I guess water would run out of the ear and drip off the lobe.

    Carolyn, Alfred E. Newman of Mad Magazine had a good set of them. I had a couple of basset hounds and talk about ears, they had some big ears!!

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  6. I'd guess to direct sound into your ear canal... but then it makes me wonder if folks who have multiple piercings and don't wear earrings in all of them hear a whistling sound like happens when air blows over a soda bottle opening... Nah... not enough wind nor big enough holes. DD... you wonder about the darnedest things!

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    Replies
    1. There are so many wonders in this world that I will never run out of thing to wonder about.

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  7. butterbean carpenterSeptember 3, 2013 at 2:41 PM

    Howdy DD,
    You left out the most prominent individual with 'SAILS' and a beautiful singing voice
    THE BING... My older brother was called 'Bing' because of his protrusions !!!
    Far-fetched is a good'un to wonder about... I like to wonder about 'expozootie' !!!
    How about the 'earthquake' at Timpson; couldn't get any notice, since the T&NO quit running, so they had an earthquake !!! Wonder about that!!!

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  8. Ear lobes are tow hooks for Moms, she'd latch on and drag the young offender off in the correct direction with minium effort. Least, that's what I heard.

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  9. butterbean, I heard on the news aboout that earthquake. I believe it was 4.0 or so. Reminds me of Elvis's song, " A whole lot of shaking going on".

    Jimkabob, Yes they are. I forgot about that. You do know that I was such a good boy when I was young that my Mom didn't need to use my tow hooks (grin).

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  10. And the longer we live, the larger our nose gets and the longer the earlobes grow. Eventually, I'll be able to smell my ears.

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    1. Now that made me laugh out loud!! Let's see, a combination of Pinocchio and Dumbo? Or if they mated, their offspring?

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  11. Earlobes are simply another example of human vestigiality as is the appendix or nipples on men. Maybe in a few more thousands of years they will all disappear.

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