Play it by?

[MojoPin]

ear or year?


big debate bewteen a mate of mine and my girl friend.... i have to agree with my mate on this one i think its play it by year but the gf thinks otherwise..... come lads join my gang... or shoot my theory to pieces


oh and how do they get the fig into the horrible fig rolls?

[GavinZac]

ear.

It refers to trying to play music by listening to it and doing your best to replicate it, rather than using sheet music. Therefore "playing it by ear" is doing anything which you're not quite sure will work out but you'll give it a shot.

[dahamsta]

She's right, you're wrong. Google the phrases and you'll see.

[Risteard]

Quite clearly, the roll is built around the fig.

[citizenerased]

its ear...100% sure i used to think like most people that it was year though

[dahamsta]

Reminds me of Billy Connolly's bit about the hymn "Gladly the Cross I Would Bear", which he used to hear as "Gladly The Cross-Eyed Bear".

[tetsujin1979]

play it by ear. definitely. never even heard of people saying play it by year

[noby]

i used to think like most people that it was year though

Speak for yourself. This is the first time I've ever seen a mention of "play it by year".

[paul_oshea]

same as that tets, some people are weirdos

gav, i always thought it as, dont make a judgement/decision just yet/too hastily or just way to see out it pans out or just way to see what happens from what you (h)ear etc etc....which doesnt really make any reference to the idea of playing a song by ear i.e. no musical sheets. i am open to your suggestion though.

[kingdom hoop]

same as that tets, some people are weirdos

gav, i always thought it as, dont make a judgement/decision just yet/too hastily or just way to see out it pans out or just way to see what happens from what you (h)ear etc etc....which doesnt really make any reference to the idea of playing a song by ear i.e. no musical sheets. i am open to your suggestion though.

Depends if you put the 'it' in or not....

play by ear


1. Play a musical instrument without the aid of written music, as in By the time she was four, she could play a dozen songs by ear. [Late 1600s]
2. play it by ear. Proceed gradually, depending on the circumstances; improvise. For example, I'm not sure how much we should say about our plans, so let's play it by ear. [Mid-1900s]

I sometimes hear people kind of ambiguously mumble the ear/year bit as if not sure, I 'll advise them of the folly of their ways henceforth

[Jerry The Saint]

Why would it be "play it by year" How does that make any sense?

Speak for yourself. This is the first time I've ever seen a mention of "play it by year".

Here, here!

[BohsPartisan]

ear ear?

[Schumi]

Here, here!

Never heard 'play it by year' either, can't think what that could mean.

[the 12 th man]

oh and how do they get the fig into the horrible fig rolls?

The Kennedy Biscuit Company merged with other regional bakeries in 1898 to form the National Biscuit Company, which later became Nabisco. The cookie is now produced by Nabisco.

Charles Roser may have invented the technique for encasing the fig jam in a dough wrapper. The machine that makes the cookie consists of a funnel within a funnel. The inner funnel contains the filling, and the outer funnel contains the dough. The machine extrudes the filled cookie, which is then baked, cut into smaller pieces, and packaged. Some UK manufacturers including Jacobs and Crawfords slice the extruded shape before baking giving distinctive rounded ends to the fig rolls.

Recently, Nabisco moved the manufacture of the cookie to Monterrey, Mexico.

From
Wiki-pedia


[edit] V

[Lionel Ritchie]

Loosely connected to the subject -the expression "swing a cat" as in "there isn't room in here to swing a cat" has nothing to do with those disgusting Feline four legged critters.
It refers to turning a boat -catamarans were thought particularly tight turners ...nearly possible to turn it on the axis -unlike other boats that need wide spaces to turn.

[Schumi]

I thought 'swing a cat' referred to a cat o' nine tails, a whip with nine strands that was used at sea.

[OwlsFan]

She's right, you're wrong. Google the phrases and you'll see.

You cannot say "google the phrase" since we're all being pedantic here. Google is not a verb. It is a trade mark.

Next you'll be saying you "hoovered the house"

[Wolfie]

"Play it by Year" - its Steve Stauntons new response at press conferences. "Qualification?. We're just going to have to play it by year. The year being 2026."

I've heard the phrase "to all intents and purposes" be phrased as "to all intensive purposes".

Some people are so inarticulate as like, ye know, well like, basically, whatever!!!!

[Jerry The Saint]

I've heard the phrase "to all intents and purposes" be phrased as "to all intensive purposes".

I like it when someone is described as a

pre-madonna

rather than a prima donna

The one that really bugs me is when people say would of/could of etc.

I would of done it differently

I recently saw someone post on a message board

I would have thought...

and then a moment later reply

EDIT: Meant to say 'I would of thought...'

Sometimes it makes me loose my temper.

[paul_oshea]

Loosely connected to the subject -the expression "swing a cat" as in "there isn't room in here to swing a cat" has nothing to do with those disgusting Feline four legged critters.
It refers to turning a boat -catamarans were thought particularly tight turners ...nearly possible to turn it on the axis -unlike other boats that need wide spaces to turn

ya my point to gav was his explanation had no relation to the phrase "play it by ear". never ever sounded like it. you should be ashamed of yourself even opening up a thread questioning it. ON that you know what ****ed me off as a child, I found that I was right about things but I was in the minority and people used to make out I was wrong. its so annoying when you know you are right and there are a stupid few who make more noise and are just plain wrong!!! hint hint.

all and sundry was one i used never get i always thought it was:

all-un-sundry, as thats how its pronounced. In fairness thats a tricky one, as in comeupance.

Btw, I thought it was "I would have thought" jerry?!?!

Wolfie, I know what you mean its like prayers at mass, where people are real loud, or when singing a song and then when they are unsure of a bit they go quieter/say it really quick all rushed together or just mumble!!! hehe