Idiom
go pear-shaped
Meanings
To go wrong; to fail or develop in an unintended, messy way.
Definition
To go pear-shaped means to go wrong or fail, especially after starting well.
If something goes pear-shaped, it stops working out as planned and becomes a mess. It is often used when a plan or situation suddenly starts to fail or get out of control. The idiom is common in British English and is informal.
Examples
- Everything was going smoothly until the catering went pear-shaped.
- Our weekend trip went pear-shaped when the car broke down.
- The meeting went pear-shaped after the projector stopped working.
- The deal went pear-shaped at the last minute because of legal issues.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use it for physical shape changes, but it is usually about a situation or plan going wrong.
More at B2 level
- Bob's your uncle Used to say that something will be easy or will happen exactly as expected after a simple step.
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- ballpark figure A ballpark figure is an approximate number or estimate, not an exact one.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- cheap as chips Very cheap; costing very little money.
More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something you were responsible for.
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a relaxed, friendly chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of what you have done or a difficult situation.