Pin back your lug holes for an ear announcement

My current life partner is suffering from an ear infection caused, most likely, due to her overuse of cotton buds.

- with Richard Ord

You know the ones. Three-inch plastic straws with pea-sized cotton balls at each end - like a wasp’s pugil stick.

These buds come with a warning. Do not put them inside your ear!

For the record, I don’t think I’ve ever used cotton buds to clean my ears, but if I was ever to answer the question: What are cotton buds used for? I think I would answer: To clean your ears.

If you don’t use them for cleaning your ears, what do you use cotton buds for? Cockroach barbells?