Idiom – To Go Pear-Shaped

To Go Pear-Shaped – Idiom of the Day

Meaning:

To describe something that has turned wrong

History:

Primarily, this one is a British idiom; however, its origin is still in dispute. To explain the origin of this phrase, there are a few conflicting elucidations. One goes back to 1940s when RAF pilots used to get frustrated in case their endeavour to create a phenomenal aerial route went pear shaped instead of perfectly circular. Another story is related to WWI when observational balloons wouldn’t get inflated as designed but go pear-shaped. Lesser known in the United States of America, the phrase got media’s attention when a British politician – Margaret Thatcher – used it in front of the press, available at the spot from different parts of the world, at one of her first meetings with the president of America, Ronald Reagan. The use of this idiom left several media people confused as they were not aware of the meaning.

Synonyms:

Be Unsuccessful
Come to Nothing
Fall Flat
Fizzle
Misfire

Examples:

Go through the examples to understand the usage of the idiom:

1. We should have a plan B in case the primary plan goes pear-shaped.
2. The surprise birthday party for my sister went pear-shaped as she got to know everything.
3. Although the beginning was a blast, however, after losing two consecutive matches, our team’s performance went pear-shaped.
4. His career going pear-shaped is the sole reason for anxiety for him.
5. If things start going pear-shaped for you, how long does it take before you act and take the charge?