go pear-shaped
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go pear-shaped
- /ɡəʊ ˈpɛəʃeɪpt/ UK
- /ɡoʊ ˈpɛɚʃeɪpt/ US
Where it comes from
Uncertain; the following etymologies have been suggested:
* From the image of a solid rectangle “slipping down” into a pear shape, thus “the bottom drops out”.
** Similar thoughts about the work of either glassblowers or potters involve a theme of the work trending toward a sagging shape; such speculations may be only folk etymology.
* From the image of a balloon or football losing its spherical shape after being punctured.
* From an idea that people who shoulder the work — who have the responsibility on their shoulders — may descend into shirking, in which case their broad shoulders diminish as their body becomes pear-shaped.
Apparently the term was originally Royal Air Force slang, but came into common use by the 1990s.
verb goes pear-shaped · going pear-shaped · went pear-shaped · gone pear-shaped · go pearshaped · go pear shaped
-
To go awry; to go wrong.
After the third attack run I was letting back down to low level, passing through about 100 feet on the way down, when there were two bangs very close together. The whole aircraft shook and things went "pear-shaped" very quickly after that.
Similar: go downhill, go down the toilet, go Pete Tong, go sideways, go to pot, go to shit, go to the dogs, turn pear-shaped · Opposite: prosper, do well, do well for oneself, gain, grow, thrive, flourish, succeed
Translations
Every language
verb to go awry or wrong
| Español | irse al tacho |
|---|---|
| Français | aller à vau-l'eau, partir à la dérive, partir à vau-l'eau, partir en couille, partir en sucette, partir en vrille |
| Deutsch | schieflaufen, danebengehen, schiefgehen |
| Русский | идти наперекосяк idti naperekosjak, всё идёт наперекосяк vsjo idjót naperekosjak |
Talk about this word "go pear-shaped." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/go%20pear-shaped. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. go pear-shaped. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/go%20pear-shaped "go pear-shaped." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/go%20pear-shaped.Cite this
@misc{go_pear_shaped_2026,
title = {go pear-shaped},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/go%20pear-shaped},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
