<P> The third meaning is mostly limited to the United Kingdom , Ireland , South Africa and Australasia . It describes a situation that went awry , perhaps horribly wrong . A failed bank robbery , for example , could be said to have `` gone pear - shaped '' . The origin for this use of the term is in dispute . The OED cites its origin as within the Royal Air Force as a cleaned - up alternative version of its phrase `` tits - up '' meaning completely broken or dead ; as of 2003 the earliest citation there is a quote in the 1983 book Air War South Atlantic . </P>
<P> The third meaning is mostly limited to the United Kingdom , Ireland , South Africa and Australasia . It describes a situation that went awry , perhaps horribly wrong . A failed bank robbery , for example , could be said to have `` gone pear - shaped '' . The origin for this use of the term is in dispute . The OED cites its origin as within the Royal Air Force as a cleaned - up alternative version of its phrase `` tits - up '' meaning completely broken or dead ; as of 2003 the earliest citation there is a quote in the 1983 book Air War South Atlantic . </P>
where does the phrase it 's all gone pear shaped come from
where does the phrase it 's all gone pear shaped come from
within the Royal Air Force as a cleaned - up alternative version of its phrase `` tits - up ''
within the Royal Air Force as a cleaned - up alternative version of its phrase `` tits - up ''