Indeed, later generations said, "Wherever you meet a word of R. Eliezer ben R. Jose HaGelili in the aggadah, make your ear like a funnel."
It is said that whenever you come across a word from R. Eliezer ben R. Jose HaGelili in the Talmudic narrative, you should be attentive and receptive, much like a funnel directing sound towards its intended destination.