Meaning
A warning that private or confidential conversations may be overheard, even in places that seem safe from eavesdroppers.
It’s used to caution someone to lower their voice or postpone a sensitive discussion, since privacy can never be fully guaranteed.
Origin
The saying is popularly linked to Catherine de’ Medici, the 16th-century queen of France, who is said to have had listening tubes built into the walls of the Louvre to secretly monitor the conversations of courtiers and political rivals. This is a frequently repeated historical anecdote, but it should be treated with some caution: like many colorful stories about powerful historical figures, the precise documentary evidence for the specific mechanism (rather than palace intrigue and spying in general, which is well attested) is thinner than the story’s popularity suggests, and it may have grown more vivid with retelling over the centuries.
Examples
Be careful what you say here — walls have ears.
They whispered the plan, remembering that walls have ears.
Even in his own office, he was cautious, knowing walls have ears.
A: Can I tell you a secret? B: Not here, walls have ears.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Walls have ears' mean?
A warning that private or confidential conversations may be overheard, even in places that seem safe from eavesdroppers.
It’s used to caution someone to lower their voice or postpone a sensitive discussion, since privacy can never be fully guaranteed.