I can't hear you over the sound of

The idiom "I can't hear you over the sound of" is a commonly used phrase in American English. It is often used in a figurative sense to indicate that the speaker is unable to hear or pay attention to what someone else is saying because there is something else that is overpowering or distracting them. This idiom highlights the idea that the presence of a loud or overpowering sound makes it difficult for the speaker to focus on or understand what is being said to them.

The phrase "I can't hear you" followed by the preposition "over" and then the phrase "the sound of" is typically filled in with the source of the noise or distraction. For example, one might say, "I can't hear you over the sound of the television," or "I can't hear you over the sound of the traffic outside."

This idiom can be used in a lighthearted or humorous manner to indicate that the speaker is intentionally choosing not to listen or is jokingly attributing their inability to hear to the overpowering sound. However, it can also be used in a more serious or frustrated tone to express genuine difficulty in hearing or paying attention due to external factors.

In some cases, this idiom may be used more broadly to suggest that the speaker is so focused on or engaged in something else that they are unable to fully comprehend or appreciate what someone else is saying. It emphasizes the speaker's preoccupation or distraction, which prevents them from giving the necessary attention to the other person's words.

A third related idiom is "are you deaf." This phrase is often used rhetorically to express frustration or disbelief that someone did not hear or understand something that was said. It is a direct way of questioning someone's ability to hear or comprehend what is being communicated to them.