Idiom of the Week: Music to My Ears

Josh: I know it’s late, but would you like to stay for dinner?
Betty: That’s music to my ears. I’m starving.

When we hear something that makes us happy, we can describe it as “music to our ears”. In this example, Betty liked what Josh said, but it can refer to sounds other than speech as well. For example, the sound of construction is loud and irritating, but if you own the building being made, it could be music to your ears.

ジョシュ：遅いけど、夜ごはん食べていかない？
ベティ―：うれしいわ、すごくお腹が空いているの。

嬉しいことを聞くと「耳に音楽」と表現されます。この例では、ベティ―はジョシュの言葉が嬉しいのですが、言葉ではない音にもこの表現が使えます。例えば、工事の音はうるさくて苛立ちますが、もし自分がこのビルのオーナーだったら、嬉しい音になるかもしれませんね。