Green’s Dictionary of Slang

the ear, usu. human.

1866		J.E. Brogden Provinc. Words Lincs. 202: Tab, a piece of leather in the front of a boot, a latchet, the ear .
1891		Sporting Times 17 Jan. 1/3: [She] caught him [i.e. ‘a Brooding Bull-Pup’] Unceremoniously by the Left tab and Slung him into a Yawning Cuspidor.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.
1958		A. Sillitoe Sat. Night and Sun. Morning 82: A nice change though from a bread-pudding face with spotted-dick eyes and ginger-pink tabs.
1959		A. Sillitoe ‘The Decline and Fall of Frankie Bullere’ Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner (1960) 138: If I see yo’ gooin’ about wi’ that daft Frankie Buller, I’ll clink yer tab-’ole.
2001		A. Sillitoe Birthday 55: He [...] had an earring hanging from his left tab hole.