Introduction
This expression is about doing something badly. Learn how to use it here.
Transcript
Feifei
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, where we explain expressions used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them, too! I’m Feifei, and I’m joined by Georgie. And that is an interesting hairstyle Georgie…
Georgie
Oh Feifei, I was really bored of my usual hairstyle, so I tried something different today, but it was a really difficult hairstyle to do, and I ended up making a real pig’s ear of it.
Feifei
Oh well. You could try again tomorrow. So why would you mention a pig’s ear when you’re talking about a bad hairstyle? Well, that’s what we’re going to learn in this programme. What does it mean to make a pig’s ear of something?
Georgie
Well, if you make a pig’s ear of something, you do something badly – you’ve messed it up. So, I tried really hard to do give myself a cool hairstyle, but I made a pig’s ear of it – my hair is a mess!
Feifei
This is an informal, light-hearted idiom that you’ll most likely hear in British English. It can be used in a variety of contexts, can’t it?
Georgie
Yes, it can. Feifei, when was the last time you saw someone make a pig’s ear of something?
Feifei
Well, the other day I saw someone trying to park their car in a tiny space and they tried to come in and out, forwards and backwards about five times. And in the end, they just parked diagonally.
Georgie
Wow. Sounds like they made a pig’s ear of that! OK, let’s hear some more examples.
Examples
I had to do a presentation at work the other day, but I messed up my words and made a right pig’s ear of it.
So, I made my friend a birthday cake last week, but I made a bit of a pig’s ear of it because I forgot to put the eggs in. Whoops!
Look at those shelves – not one of them is straight. I’ve made a right pig’s ear of them, haven’t I?
Feifei
Now, there are some ways you can modify this idiom to add emphasis. You can add the word ‘real’ and say, “You made a real pig’s ear of that”.
Georgie
Yes, that’s quite common. Or you can add ‘right’ and say, “You made a right pig’s ear of that”. Both of these variations emphasise and intensify the idea of a total disaster, and they are both common in spoken British English.
Feifei
OK. Let’s recap. We learnt ‘make a pig’s ear of something’ which means to do something badly and totally mess it up.
Georgie
Thanks for joining us. Bye!
Feifei
Goodbye!