Play it by ear
Play it by ear
To respond to situations as they develop, without a plan.
To respond to situations as they develop, without a plan.The idiom 'play it by ear' is used to describe the way someone might respond to circumstances as they arise or change without having a fixed plan in mind. The phrase is believed to come from the practice of playing music by ear, meaning without the use of written music. In a broader context, it means to act spontaneously, in response to the situation at hand, rather than following a pre-determined plan or strategy. It suggests a degree of flexibility and adaptability to changing circumstances.
The idiom 'play it by ear' is used to describe the way someone might respond to circumstances as they arise or change without having a fixed plan in mind. The phrase is believed to come from the practice of playing music by ear, meaning without the use of written music. In a broader context, it means to act spontaneously, in response to the situation at hand, rather than following a pre-determined plan or strategy. It suggests a degree of flexibility and adaptability to changing circumstances.
Use cases
When I asked my boss about our strategy for the upcoming project, he simply said we're going to have to play it by ear. It's a new territory for us and we can't predict all potential issues. We need to stay flexible and adapt our approach as we go.
Our vacation plans are a bit up in the air at the moment because the weather forecast keeps changing. We're just going to have to play it by ear and adjust our plans depending on the weather each day.
I'm not sure what time I'll be able to make it to the party. I have a lot going on at work, so I'll have to play it by ear.
I know you're worried about how to handle meeting your boyfriend's parents for the first time. But my advice is to play it by ear. Respond naturally to the conversation and circumstances.
The job interview didn't go as I had planned in my mind. The interviewer asked some unexpected questions, but I managed to play it by ear.
As a stand-up comedian, you have to play it by ear on stage. The audience reactions can be unpredictable, and you have to adjust your act accordingly.
Our team didn't have a solid strategy for the match. We decided to play it by ear, adjusting our tactics based on what the other team did.
I don't have a specific recipe that I follow when I cook. I usually just play it by ear and adjust the ingredients and their quantities as I go.
I don't have a specific plan for the weekend. I'll just play it by ear, and do what feels right in the moment.
We didn't have a reservation for dinner and the restaurant was fully booked, but we decided to play it by ear and try another place nearby.
