# 'Pear-Shaped'... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458 "2007-08-30T03:34:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![outside\_artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@outside\_artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outside_artist)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/1 "2007-08-30T03:34:24Z")
I am reading a novel in which the author uses the phrase ‘pear-shaped’ to indicate somethiing negative. As in: ‘If it all goes pear-shaped in a year or so…’ Does anyone know the origin of this phrase? TIA ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/2 "2007-08-30T03:37:05Z")
I’ve only heard it used to describe some one’s figure, when the hips/butt/lower tummy are disproportionately large. Is the sentence in reference to a person? Like “the liposuction looks great now, but if it all goes pear-shaped in a year or so, she’ll be out a lot of money” ? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/3 "2007-08-30T03:37:13Z")
The origin for this use of the term is in dispute. The OED cites its origin as within the Royal Air Force; as of 2003 the earliest citation there is a quote in the 1983 book Air War South Atlantic (ISBN 0-283-99035-X). Others date it to the RAF in the 1940s, from pilots attempting to perform aerial manoeuvres such as loops. These are difficult to form perfectly, and are usually noticeably distorted—i.e., pear-shaped. > **[Piriform](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pear_shaped)** > > Piriform, sometimes pyriform, means pear-shaped (from Latin pirum "pear" and forma "shape"). > It may also refer to: ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/4 "2007-08-30T03:38:09Z")
Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/5 "2007-08-30T03:38:09Z")
Never mind. Fancy google-fu, **Blake** ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/6 "2007-08-30T05:29:03Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] I’ve only heard it used to describe some one’s figure, when the hips/butt/lower tummy are disproportionately large. [/QUOTE] I’ve heard “pear-shaped” in the OP’s sense very often, but I believe all my references are either UK English speakers or people who have been influenced by UK English speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/7 "2007-08-30T07:43:06Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] I’ve heard “pear-shaped” in the OP’s sense very often, but I believe all my references are either UK English speakers or people who have been influenced by UK English speakers. [/QUOTE] I have head it very often also, but all my references are Murray Walker. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/8 "2007-08-30T08:03:54Z")
[QUOTE=Manduck] I have head it very often also, but all my references are Murray Walker. [/QUOTE] Mine are all Terry Pratchett. He’s fond of the phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/9 "2007-08-30T08:46:46Z")
When the phrase became popular (and to my mind, over-used) in recent times, I was convinced it was from The Hitchhiker’s Guide, which would pre-date the cite from 1983 mentioned above. But it is just a long-term hunch. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/10 "2007-08-30T09:37:52Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] Mine are all Terry Pratchett. He’s fond of the phrase. [/QUOTE] Doesn’t he describe things as more wahoonie-shaped? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/11 "2007-08-30T10:52:01Z")
I had never head it before I started hanging out with Brits. One of my British friends will say “If it all goes the shape of the pear.” He was surprised that us Yanks had never hear the expression. He kept trying different ways of saying it: “You know, pear shaped. The shape of the pear.” We all stared blankly at him. Now I know what it means, but I still don’t use it. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/12 "2007-08-30T12:11:02Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] I’ve only heard it used to describe some one’s figure, when the hips/butt/lower tummy are disproportionately large. [/QUOTE] The comparison’s intent when I’ve heard it before was much more complimentary, a pear-shaped ass being more constricted at the top but “bottoming out” rather nicely. Also though, I do remember previous discussion on this board wrt the term being something different entirely in UK circles, somewhat akin to ‘going awry.’ ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/13 "2007-08-30T14:12:43Z")
According to the [English to American Dictionary](http://english2american.com/dictionary/p.html#pear-shaped): > [@](#): > > If something has gone pear-shaped it means it’s all gone rather wrong. Usually it’s meant in a rather jovial sense, in a similar way to the American expression “out of kilter” or “off kilter”. He also says: > [@](#): > > I’ve been told variously that this derives from glass-blowing or hot-air ballooning - take your pick. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/14 "2007-08-30T14:21:58Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] Also though, I do remember previous discussion on this board wrt the term being something different entirely in UK circles, somewhat akin to ‘going awry.’ [/QUOTE] I’m sure that’s what we’re talking about here - not things literally assuming a pear-like shape, but an idiom referring to things turning out suboptimally. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/15 "2007-08-30T19:34:00Z")
I’m thinking junk in the trunk. ---
**Author:** ![outside\_artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@outside\_artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outside_artist)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/16 "2007-08-30T23:03:54Z")
I think Blake’s link summed it up pretty well. It WAS a britiah novel I was reading (_A Spot of Bother_), and it did not refer in any way to the shape of a person, but to a plan. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/17 "2007-08-31T17:02:10Z")
The way I’ve had it explained to me is that we’re to suppose whatever is now pear-shaped had _originally_ been round. Since it’s now in the shape of a pear, rather than a circle, it’s fouled up and doesn’t roll smoothly. Isn’t there a similar expression about how things have gone “out of round”? Maybe that’s used in cases more literal, though. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/18 "2007-08-31T17:21:33Z")
It was the name of a Dick Tracy villain in the 1940s, so it goes back at least that far. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/19 "2007-09-01T01:01:25Z")
What about the phrase, ‘pear shaped tones’, to mean speaking loud or insistently? I have often heard it used by non Brits. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458/20 "2007-09-01T20:57:19Z")
“Pear shaped” is when things have gone a bit Pete Tong. I trust that clears things up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pear-shaped/417458.md?page=2)