Ear Wagging

Deafness: Legacy of the Deep

When I was Formation Chief working for Admiral Garnet, he also wore the same model hearing aids that I did. They had volume adjust buttons on them that were operated by pressing your thumb on the button while the hearing aid was in your ear and twisting it one way or the other for volume. Almost like the rude gesture of sticking your thumbs in your ears and wagging your hands at someone.

Former Fleet Chief Petty Officer: Jim Gordon

Deaf and Deafer

One day when the admiral's wife was accompanying us in the staff car she witnessed our "tuning ritual" that usually occurred whenever we had a sudden change of environmental sound, like getting into or out of a car. I don't think we were even conscious about what we did or what it looked like. But when she saw us both put our thumbs in our ears and start tuning the volume she said, "Oh my God, just like Dumb and Dumber, only Deaf and Deafer". The young killick driver almost lost control of the car laughing.