pig's ear

British

noun

something that has been badly or clumsily done; a botched job (esp in the phrase make a pig's ear of ( something ))

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On 9 November, Lord Weir said Ms O'Neill was "making a pig's ear of this" to which Mr Poots replied: "Comes naturally."

From BBC • May 15, 2024

All without expectation of reward — except the occasional dried pig’s ear.

From Washington Post • Jul. 4, 2022

A rich bavette steak, a crisply fried pig’s ear, a long-simmered mutton roast.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2020

For Example A, consider his ability, at 0-0, to make a pig’s ear from a promising position at a free-kick.

From The Guardian • Sep. 30, 2019

The owner lured Roux away with a shriveled pig’s ear, which is apparently a canine delicacy?

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023