“Dear Dr. Kim:
“I sometimes hear Brits say, ‘It’s gone pear-shaped’ when a situation has taken a turn for the worse. What does that expression mean, exactly?”
–Puzzled Yank
Dear Puzzled:
Hell if I know. Most of the time, Brits spout some meaningless gobbledegook at you and when you look at them quizzically, they act like you’re the stupid one — when in fact they’re just fucking up the language that they themselves are supposed to have invented.
But to answer your question as best I can: I think that “pear-shaped” has the opposite meaning of what you’re thinking. Here’s my idea of pear-shaped:
…and in no way, shape or form can this be regarded as A Bad Thing. Hope this helps.
— Dr. Kim