What it means
Said when something was going nicely, looking all sorted, then suddenly it all goes a bit wonky and turns into a mess. Very British bit of understatement for plans, projects, nights out, DIY jobs, or anything else that slips from tidy to total balls-up while you try to keep a straight face.
Usage examples
"Had the BBQ all set, then the charcoal wouldn’t light, Gaz nicked the tongs, and it rained. Proper gone pear-shaped, so kettle’s on."
"The picnic went pear-shaped the moment the rain started and the wasps showed up."
"The launch was going fine till the server fell over and nobody could log in. Whole thing went pear-shaped in about ten minutes."
"We only popped out for one quick drink, then Sam lost his keys, the pub shut early, and the taxi never came. Proper pear-shaped."
"The wedding seating plan went pear-shaped when Auntie Sue refused to sit near Dave and half the table got reshuffled in a panic."
Where it comes from
The tidiest theory pins it on RAF pilots, whose neat aerobatic loops would come out lumpy and pear-shaped when botched. A plan that has gone pear-shaped has lost its clean round shape and slumped into a sorry, misshapen mess.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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