Bite at his ear

• to bite one's ear: (slang) to borrow money

• bite ... his ear → in Pietro Mascagni's opera Cavalleria Rusticana, Turiddu bites Alfio’s ear to challenge him over a woman → was this role sung by John Sullivan? → rollsrights

• earwig: in popular superstition earwigs bite peoples ears, though in fact they don't; also, to ear-wig is to eavesdrop on a conversation