Literal translation
to be as deaf as a pot
Meaning
to be stone deaf
Explanation
The image, simple and widely shared, appears in several languages: deaf as a pot. But in Provençal it gains an extra layer, since the toupin, that earthenware pot, has handles called leis auriho, the ears. The Provençal form persisted in regional French out of habit and familiarity, even though plain sourd comme un pot would have worked just as well. Other expressions use the toupin, mostly with a more risqué edge.