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Play it by ear (idiom)

2016.11.30

Meaning:

Sometimes musicians read sheet music. But some musicians don’t need to read sheet music – they can ‘play by ear’. This means they can hear music and then just play it. In modern English we use the idiom ‘play it by ear’ to mean ‘do something without planning; to adapt to a situation as it develops’. For example, if you go on vacation but don’t have any tours or events planned you are ‘playing it by ear’.

Example:

A: Are you ready for the meeting with the boss? You don’t have any notes!
B: Don’t worry about it. I’m confident about this presentation. I’m going to play it by ear.

Talking Point(s):

Are you a person who likes to plan things or do you often ‘play it by ear’?