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FTR, OED2 has nothing to say about this pejorative usage of pear-shaped; but the online version has a New Entry marked "draft entry March 2003", which includes this:
3. colloq. (chiefly Brit., orig. R.A.F. slang). to go (also turn) pear-shaped: to go (badly)
wrong, to go awry.
1983 J. ETHELL & A. PRICE Air War South Atlantic 158 There were two bangs very close together. The whole aircraft shook and things went ‘pear-shaped’ very quickly after that. The controls ceased to work, the nose started to go down. 1989 Air Forces Monthly Feb. 53/2 When a disadvantaged fighter manages to manoeuvre back into a neutral position, it is a sign to the attacker that things are already going pear-shaped. 1995 FourFourTwo Sept. 108/1 The day itself was one of those prize-winningly crappy days when everything went pear shaped. 1999 J. CASSIDY Street Life 118 Next we travelled to Bournemouth and it was there that things began to turn rather pear-shaped.
the RAF supposition seems to be based (per usual) on the first citations found in print.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted Piraform dxb 04/14/03 03:57 PM Re: Piraform Jackie 04/14/03 09:08 PM Re: Piraform wwh 04/14/03 09:41 PM Re: Piraform Capfka 04/15/03 06:28 AM Re: Piraform RhubarbCommando 04/15/03 08:50 AM Re: Piraform wwh 04/15/03 12:47 PM Re: Piraform Capfka 04/15/03 05:16 PM Re: Piraform wwh 04/15/03 05:28 PM Re: Piraform Bingley 04/16/03 02:44 AM Re: Piraform Capfka 04/16/03 10:03 AM Re: Piraform wwh 04/16/03 01:11 PM Re: Piraform Capfka 04/16/03 01:33 PM Re: Piraform wwh 04/16/03 05:07 PM Re: Piraform tsuwm 04/16/03 05:20 PM Re: Piraform wwh 04/16/03 06:28 PM Re: Piraform tsuwm 04/16/03 06:45 PM Re:Pear shaped wow 04/16/03 06:45 PM Re:Pear shaped nancyk 04/17/03 12:36 AM Re:Pear shaped RhubarbCommando 04/20/03 11:50 AM Re: Piraform dxb 04/15/03 10:56 AM Re: Piraform RhubarbCommando 04/15/03 12:08 PM Re: Piraform Faldage 04/15/03 10:03 AM
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