What does "going all Pear shaped" mean?

To start with, I’m from the States.

I know an Englishwoman that uses the phrase “going all Pear Shaped” to describe situations that may or have gone wrong.

I have also seen this phrase a couple of times in these boards.

I have a general idea of what it means, but when I asked my British friend where it comes from, she had no idea. Does anyone have a better/different explination of the phrase?

Sorry - I thought you were referring to women with round, heavy hips and bottoms that are wider than their shoulders.

It means everything’s going all wrong. For instance, I might say “Everything’s going pear shaped!” if the potatoes boil over, I step on the cat’s tail and I knock a glass off the counter all at the same time. In fact, I believe I’ve said those very words in that very instance.

I think the phrase comes from the shape of a pear, which is decidedly weighted from the bottom. If you have a stable situation that suddenly becomes pear shaped, it will turn upside down so it sits on the bottom. Think Weeble Wobbles.

It’s all gone a bit Pete Tong…

From: http://alt-usage-english.org/ucle/ucle9.html

Oh, and welcome to the SDMB :slight_smile: