turn pear-shaped

Definitions

Synonym of go pear-shaped (“to go awry; to go wrong”).

Examples

“With the heater going full blast, Sophie and I drive⟳ to the all-night garage, and for the price of a coffee I get⟳ her life story. Happy as a child, things turned pear-shaped as she entered her teens.”

“Unfortunately, a lot of the work⟳ we do is around trying to encourage⟳ leaders and staff in larger organisations to move⟳ away from a fear-based culture and one that is driven by 'I don't want⟳ to speak⟳ up in case I say⟳ the wrong thing' or 'what if I experiment⟳ with a new offering and it turns pear-shaped and I don't make⟳ my numbers?”

“He took a five-minute penalty for drafting on the bike and, while attempting to run⟳ his way back into the lead⟳ group, his stomach rebelled and he lost minutes and energy vomiting at the side of the road. "Things turned pear-shaped real quick there," the 37-year-old recalled.”

CEFR level