pear-shaped

Modifying Another Word

• seriously: Derek Fraser is to be congratulated on a tremendous achievement and for the guts to tackle a piece which could have gone seriously pear-shaped.
• slightly: The history of the ESF went slightly pear-shaped in 1995, with the launch of a CD-ROM version from Grolier.
• really: If things go really pear-shaped you want to be able to get hold of more!

Adjective complement with noun phrase

go: Things have definitely gone a bit pear-shaped in here.

Modifies a noun

• organ: The gall bladder is a small pear-shaped organ on the underside of the liver that is used to store bile.
• fruit: Champion: Bears heavy crops of large, roundish to pear-shaped, greenish-yellow fruits of delicate flavor.
• body: Suddenly, he stepped onto the ledge, his small pear-shaped body hovering over mine.
• diamond: This beautiful pear-shaped diamond was one of the stars of the show.
• egg: This bird produces a pear-shaped egg which does not roll over the cliff edge.
• buttress: Climb initially up broken ground ( slabs and steps ) to the bottom of a steep 30 meter pear-shaped buttress.

Used with adjective complement

• go: The history of the ESF went slightly pear-shaped in 1995, with the launch of a CD-ROM version from Grolier.
• become: The Daily Mail Men ' becoming pear-shaped ' The majority of UK men are becoming pear-shaped, according to research.