to start paying attention
to begin the process of listening (to someone) intently
pick up your ears
cock an ear
prick ears up
The teacher asked her student to prick up his ears when he kept on disturbing the class with silly jokes.
I tell my husband to prick up his ears when taking down the grocery details for the month else he tends to forget to buy certain important things.
The sales staff was asked to prick up his ears when he could not suggest anything that the client considered buying.
To not prick up your ears when you are working at a call center would mean complete disaster for your career. It is among the most basic requirements of a calling job.
There is no origin for this idiom
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definition
Common phrase that has a specific meaning.