What Does ?Let?s Play It by Ear? Mean?


ear illustration

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The phrase ?let?s play it by ear? means not to make definitive plans beforehand. It?s always used when talking about the near or far future, especially when the future situation in question is not entirely known yet. Therefore, when someone says they are planning on playing it by ear, they mean they will not make a concrete plan until they know what is happening.

Origins of the ?Let?s Play It by Ear? Phrase

The phrase originates from the music industry and refers to playing or even singing without following the sheet music. Therefore, an artist who is playing music by ear will only reproduce the notes they already heard, figuring out their next step as they go along.

ear illustration
Source

?Let?s Play It by Ear? in a Sentence

Here?s an example of how to use it in a sentence:

Susie: ?Laura, let?s go hiking this weekend!?
Laura: ?The weather might be bad for hiking the next few days, let?s play it by ear.?

If you want to skim through more non-technical interview questions and their answers that might come in handy during an IT interview, you’re welcome to check out our article on what a brain fart means and start from there.

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