earbobs
Earrings, especially the dressy kind.
Also called ear bobs, ear-bobs, earbob.
Updated October 24, 2026
earbobs pronunciation
/EAR-bahbz/
Meaning
Southern and South Midland word for earrings. Grandmas hunt for their earbobs before church. It covers clip-ons, danglers, and fancy Sunday pairs alike. Some families even joke and call earbuds earbobs now, since those hang off your ears too.
How folks use it
- “Mama can't find her earbobs and she won't leave the house without them.”
- “She put on her gold earbobs for the wedding.”
Origin and etymology
Built from "ear" plus "bob," an old word for a dangling bauble. Recorded by the mid-1600s and kept alive as Southern and South Midland talk for earrings. Dictionaries still mark it as regional that way.
Frequently asked questions
Are earbobs only dangly earrings?
Mostly that image, but folks use it for earrings in general, dangly or not.