Anybody know why this sounds off?

Question

A friend of mine wrote "paid attention with my ears and eyes" instead of "paid attention with my eyes and ears", and the former sounded really strange. Is there some kind of rule to this, or is this just because it's more commonplace to hear people say "eyes and ears"?

Answer 1

When using words related to the five senses, it's common to express them from the top

downwards:

eyes (see or look); ears (hear or listen); nose (smell); mouth (taste); hands (feel/touch.)

Note how thought/ thinking are not one of the five senses, or sensory verbs,

but of the brain/mind.-- I think alligators are dangerous.

One "exception to the rule" is when speaking of your health. For example, the

adverb "well" is used and not the adjective "good." It's a common mistake to say:

How do you feel? I feel good. (incorrect. ) I feel well, or, I do not feel well.(correct.)

Why? Because "feel" is a verb, therefore it takes an adverb to modify it. Thus, "well" is

an adverb. Whereas "good" is an adjective, which modifies nouns or pronouns and cannot

modify the verb "feel."

Yes, Standard English is a bit annoying when it comes to the pesty "exceptions to the rule."

Of course in Ad Language, it seems rules don't apply.

In other usage, the verb " feel " is a transitive (used with an object) verb. To feel or examine

by touch, or to have a sensation of (something), other than by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting.

For example, to feel a toothache is to have a sensation of something (pain.) To examine the

satin fabric is to touch or feel it with your hands.

Answer 2

I believe "eyes and ears" in this case is an idiomatic expression unique to English. There isn't an explicit rule that would apply elsewhere, other than with other idiomatic expressions (ex., "it's raining dogs and cats" sounds similarly strange).

Answer 3

Dare I say it's more commonplace to see "eyes and ears", but there is no rule that I've heard of.