Idiom
Play it by ear
To play it by ear is to decide what to do as things happen, instead of making a fixed plan ahead of time.
How people use it
People say it when a plan depends on things they can't know yet, such as the weather, traffic or how someone feels: let's play it by ear and see if the kids are tired. It can sound relaxed and flexible, or, from someone who never commits, a little vague. A related literal phrase, play by ear, means to play music by listening and remembering, without written notes, and it is still used that way.
Also said: play by ear.
Examples
- We don't know when the rain will stop, so let's play it by ear for the picnic.
- Sam never books hotels in advance; he likes to play it by ear when he travels.
- I'm not sure how long the meeting will run, so we'll play it by ear about dinner.
Where it comes from
It comes from music. To play by ear means to play a tune you have heard without reading sheet music, and that sense goes back several centuries. The figurative use, handling everyday situations as they come without a plan, became common in the 20th century.
Check yourself
1. A friend says, "Let's play it by ear tonight." What do they mean?
Answer: Let's decide as we go. Playing it by ear means staying flexible rather than following a fixed plan.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: We have no fixed schedule for the trip; we'll play it by ear.. The idiom means improvising, so it clashes with exact instructions or detailed plans.
Similar idioms
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