play it by ear. we just stay home and don't do anything at all. — Let's play it by ear and not reserve a ride back to the hotel. Rather than adopting a new academic strategy, the principal decided to play it by ear. The idiom means to perform an act through spontaneous means, do something which has not been rehearsed. And here's a freebie - it's not "Nipped in the butt" It's "nipped in the bud" improvise; act without preparation; to let things go as they may; determined on the circumstances; according to the demand of the situation; Example Sentences. rather than taking a tour and it was really nice to just walk around and get acquainted with the town. — Yes, I'd love to play tennis but I'm not sure what the weather is going to be like this weekend. What's the meaning of the phrase 'Play by ear'? I don't know what will happen next. Definition: To respond to circumstances instead of having a fixed plan. Yes, I'd love to play tennis but I'm not sure what the weather is going to be like this weekend. — Let's make a plan for tomorrow. Some of us may want to go out for drinks after the movie. To act according to the circumstances; improvise: To improvise; to act as the situation requires, without advance planning. Today we are going to use those same cards to play a game of go fish. By the skin of your teeth Meaning: Just barely making it. Basically, you are reproducing a song that you have already heard on the piano. Learn. Log in Sign up. For example, we might say that Mozart had a great ear because he could play songs after only hearing them. More recently it is also used figuratively to mean 'handle a situation in an impromptu manner', that is, without reference to pre-determined rules or guidelines. PLAY. For example. I like those comedy shows where they play it by ear and just say whatever they like and do whatever they like. To learn and remember them better - take Idioms Spelling Test Read meaning of idioms. One of the most common uses of play is the phrase to play a role. Kag. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/play+it+by+ear, 1. "Play it by ear" refers to a musical sense, as in playing an instrument without the sheet music to read, so you are going to play what you hear, or play it by ear. — I'd like to have dinner in the city but I'm not sure how the traffic will be so let's play it by ear. Write. Make Idioms fun by playing games with this set of 34 sets of cards. Meaning worksheets: Let´s talk about the MEANING of LIFE Level: intermediate Age: 14-17 Downloads: 492 VERBS "Using the Right Word/Verb in the Right Place" - Choose suitable words to make meaning clearer - (( Definitions & 30 sentences to complete )) - (( B&W VERSION INCLUDED )) Meaning | Synonyms. This is the British English definition of play it by ear.View American English definition of play it by ear.. Change your default dictionary to American English. I always think of the scene in Amadeus when Mozart is composing a song on the spot for the King. • At 2, he played the piano by ear. Play it by ear. to decide what to do when you know what is happening, rather than planning in advance: "I can’t tell you what to expect ." He always played things by ear. 1 decade ago "Play it by ear" is the correct phrase. Wow, George is such a talented piano player! play it by ear: 1 v decide on one's actions as one goes along, depending on the situation “She didn't know what to expect from her new job, so she played it by ear ” Type of: act , move perform an action, or work out or perform (an action) This means that someone will not make a decision about an event until they are in the moment. 1 play (music) which you have heard or remembered but which you have not seen written down: She can’t read music very well, so she plays all the tunes by ear. it means to improvise. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "play" and "by ear.". Search. I'm playing it by ear. Expressions, phrases and idioms with Play. — I don't know exactly what I'm going to do this weekend; I'm going to play it by ear. — Would you rather we make a reservation for dinner or should we play it by ear? Whenever we. The only semi-obvious meaning of ‘play it by year’ I can think of would be if someone had, say, a Motown compilation with many, many songs in it. Just as yesterday, I will divide the students up into groups of four. Doing something at the drop of a hat Meaning: Doing something at the moment of being asked In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "play" and "by ear. 1 decade ago. — My parents are complete opposites: my mother likes everything planned in detail and my father always wants to play things by ear. The question is: What is the meaning of the English idiom “Play it by ear”? Idiom Matching Cards. Match the Idiom to its meaning. To play a piece of music without referencing sheet music or a recording. By extension, to make decisions about what action to take in an adaptive, flexible way, based on the circumstances. Meaning of Idiom ‘Play it By Ear’ 1 . Initially, this referred to the playing of music without reference to printed notation. Upgrade to remove ads. This time the students will mix up the cards and deal out 5 cards to each person in the group. Each set has an illustrated idiom card and a definition card. So, again, “play it by ear” means to make those decisions in the moment of performing the actions without planning out all the details previously. How to use play it by ear in a sentence. I don't have a set schedule, so we'll have to play it by ear. When ready - begin a Quiz. I hope the director will be able to do the opening remarks but if not, we'll have to. Listening | TED Talks | Speaking | Grammar | Vocabulary | Idioms | Blog, Copyright © 2013-2020 OysterEnglish.com  All rights reserved  |   Privacy policy, I don't know exactly what I'm going to do this weekend; I'm going to, I'd like to have dinner in the city but I'm not sure how the traffic will be so let's, Would you rather we make a reservation for dinner or should we. Flashcards. If I could play by ear, I wouldn't have to take lessons—or practice! I could tell he had forgotten his notes and was playing the presentation by ear. b) if someone can play a musical instrument by ear, they can play a tune without looking at written music → play Examples from the Corpus play something by ear • As he has no political party that can provide him with practical support, he is forced to play it by ear. This page is about the idiom play it by ear. play it by ear. Initially, this referred to the playing of music without reference to printed notation. Idiom: play it by ear. Yun. This term for playing instrumental music without reading the notes from a score, but simply going by the sound, dates from the seventeenth century. 1. The phrase comes from music – for instance, when playing the piano, if you want to play something without looking at the sheet music in front of you, you would “play it by ear”. These cards are 2 1/2" by 2 1/4" This product is part of a money Don’t judge a book by its cover Meaning: Not judging something by its initial appearance. (Definition of play it by ear from the … Test will ask you to match each idiom to its meaning. Just because he can play by ear doesn't mean he's a great songwriter. 2 (also play it by ˈear) ( informal ) decide how to act in a situation as it happens or develops, rather than by planning in advance: You can’t really prepare for the questions the interviewer will ask — you’ll just have to play it by ear, I’m afraid. to do something spontaneously without making a plan in advance; to do something without preparation or practice; Example sentences — I don't know exactly what I'm going to do this weekend; I'm going to play it by ear. — We decided to play it by ear rather than taking a tour and it was really nice to just walk around and get acquainted with the town. "Don’t worry, I’ll play it by ear ." ear. — I know how to play many Elton John songs on the piano by ear. Definition and synonyms of play it by ear from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.. Explanation: The original meaning is to play music without using a score or music sheet to look at.Just as a musician will play something unplanned without looking at something, this idiom is to do something unplanned depending on the situation. Match. The idiom is several centuries old, descending from the use of ear as a metonym for one’s natural ability to recognize musical intervals. Answer (1 of 6): The phrase 'play it by ear' means to improvise on something that has not been pre planned. Whenever we play it by ear we just stay home and don't do anything at all. I have to run some errands in the morning, so let's play things by ear.". Meaning. We'll have to play it by ear.'. Spell. Georges. Meaning: Not having the capacity to take on a new assignment or task that is just too taxing. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com! Another word for play it by ear: improvise, wing it, ad-lib, extemporize | Collins English Thesaurus More idioms will be added in the future so check back frequently or sign-up for my free newsletter to learn about new updates to my website. I don't know what I will do when she will come in front of me. — `Oh, I guess a bed-and-breakfast place. 1 play (music) which you have heard or remembered but which you have not seen written down: She can’t read music very well, so she plays all the tunes by ear. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.