What does ‘play it by ear’ mean?
To “play it by ear” means to improvise as you go, without a plan. The phrase comes from musicians playing without written score. Its idiomatic use spread in the 20th century.
Origin
- The phrase comes from musicians playing without written score. Its idiomatic use spread in the 20th century.
How to use it
- Common about flexible plans.
- Example: Let's play it by ear and see how the day goes.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.