# Is there a term for when someone plugs their ears and says "Na na na, I can't hear you!"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 15, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886 "2012-02-15T02:48:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/1 "2012-02-15T02:48:15Z")
If there isn’t, this is as good a place as any to make one up. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/2 "2012-02-15T03:08:10Z")
The ostrich defense. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/3 "2012-02-15T15:22:09Z")
The Freeyrol\* defense Three year old. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/4 "2012-02-16T18:21:00Z")
Does anybody actually do this in real life? I’ve never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/5 "2012-02-16T20:42:36Z")
Willfully blind/deaf? Immature? ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/6 "2012-02-16T22:09:54Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Does anybody actually do this in real life? I’ve never seen it. Really? ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/7 "2012-02-16T22:12:26Z")
A peewee-herman. ---
**Author:** ![Dusty\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@Dusty\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dusty_Rose)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/8 "2012-02-16T23:37:10Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Does anybody actually do this in real life? I’ve never seen it. My boss will do this! When I tell him how much he and his 9 year old son are alike I don’t always mean it as a compliment… ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/9 "2012-02-16T23:37:26Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Is there a term for when someone plugs their ears and says “Na na na, I can’t hear you!”? If there isn’t, this is as good a place as any to make one up. Shit For Brains. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/10 "2012-02-16T23:44:22Z")
I call it _laylering_ (after the “laylerlaylerlayler” sound some people make while doing it). ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/11 "2012-02-17T02:04:16Z")
“I caaaan’t heeeear youuuuu” in an annoying sing-song voice. Similar to “neener neener neener” which is when someone has or gets to do something that you didn’t. Both represent emotional maturity levels of about a first-grader. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/12 "2012-02-17T03:10:19Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Really? Really. I’ve only seen it on sitcoms or cartoons. Maybe kids are picking it up for laughs, but I’ve never seen that either. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/13 "2012-02-17T03:40:56Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Does anybody actually do this in real life? I’ve never seen it. I’ve never seen anyone do it in real life either other than in jest. Not even children. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/14 "2012-02-17T03:58:44Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I’ve never seen anyone do it in real life either other than in jest. Not even children. I’ve seen adults do this. It’s really sad. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/15 "2012-02-17T15:09:50Z")
My brother and I would do something similar. We didn’t have a name for it, but it was the moment during an argument where we both knew it was going to end in violence. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/16 "2012-02-17T15:53:17Z")
I think I missed where this joke was set up properly. It’s supposed to be Q. What do you call someone who puts their hands over their ears and goes “Na na na”? A. Anything you like, they can’t hear you. But it seems like it isn’t? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/17 "2012-02-17T16:22:55Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Does anybody actually do this in real life? I’ve never seen it. I kind of assumed it came from a cartoon or movie or something. Someone had to come up with the idea though. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-plugs-their-ears-and-says-na-na-na-i-cant-hear-you/612886/18 "2012-02-17T16:28:40Z")
Rats, missed the edit window. Maybe it’s a twist on the “hear no evil” monkey?