Pear-Shaped
/ˈpɛr ʃeɪpt/noun
Shaped like a pear, or informally, badly wrong or failed.
Did you know?The failure sense is a 20th-century British RAF slang expression, and its origin is uncertain—possibly from the idea of a perfect circle going lopsided into a pear-like shape.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
pere
“pear fruit”
Middle English
ME
peere
“pear fruit”
Old English
OE
sceap
“form, created thing”
Middle English
ME
shapen
“to shape, form”
20th Century
English
pear-shaped
“shaped like a pear; slang: badly wrong or unsuccessful”