The Cadillac (Part 1)

ELAINE: So, when're you getting back from Florida? JERRY: Oh, I don't know, play it by ear. Why?

My question: What does the expression "play it by ear" mean?

Thanks!

It's an idiom which basically means to act accordingly to things that happen around you; to improvise.

"- Loco By Nature -" wrote in message news:c3abls$24lml7$[email]...

It means: without a plan, not planned, just... let's see what happens, and we'll make a decision somewhere along the way... We'll make that decision on how we feel at the time we need to absolutely make that decision.

It must have something to do with learning music "by ear" method, where the student does not have the sheet music in front of him/her but just plays along with the tune until he/she gets it right. Not a planned study method by any means.

Er

It's when someone playing a harp, or in some rare instances, a violin, gets their head too close to the strings.

Hence.....playing by ear.

"Incubus" wrote in message news:c3c51e$u43$[email]...

gets

Let me ask you, why do you have to tilt the harp when you play it? Can't they build it on an angle? Would make it much easier.

Er

Well, the modern-day harp has been refined over thousands of years...