# play it by ear



## erick

I'd like to find a similar expression in Italian for the English: "let's play it by ear."

The expression is used for example when two or more people have an idea that they want to do something together, but don't quite commit to it.  Rather, they'll see how things go and if the situation works out then they'll make the idea happen.  For example, a few friends want to go to an open air concert tomorrow but are not sure if they can get tickets, and if it might rain on the concert, so they agree to play it by ear and decide on the concert or some alternative later.


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## You little ripper!

Erick, I think they use the word _improvvisare_ in this instance.


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## lsp

erick said:
			
		

> Improvvisare is similar, but it's more like "suddenly" or "at the last moment" to do something "all'improvviso."  But that's different from the "play it by ear" that I'm looking for: more like a general agreement that we'll do something together, but we'll adjust our plans as the situation changes.
> 
> In the sense that: "Usciamo insieme questo fine settimana.  Ti chiamo venerdi sera e possiamo metterci d'accordo."


I'd fall back on "Usciamo insieme questo fine settimana.  Ti chiamo venerdì sera e poi vediamo (come vanno le cose)." Would that mean "play it by ear'?


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## TimLA

The idiomatic phrase "play it by ear" comes from the musical ability to play a song (do something) without having seen the music (without a plan). I wonder if there is a similar musical analog in Italian -- I'm sure that's what you are asking.


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## You little ripper!

The Word Reference dictionary translates it as _improvvisare un piano d'azione._


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## Elisa68

Sono d'accordo con la traduzione fornita da Lsp.

Per cui puoi dire:
_come vanno le cose_
_decidiamo lì per lì_

_Improvvisare_ non vuol dire _improvvisamente_ (suddenly) ma "to do something without preparation". Quindi potrebbe andare bene come traduzione di _play it by ear_, anche se non in questo contesto.


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## lsp

erick said:
			
		

> ...Forgive me for saying so but we're confusing ourselves by having English speakers claw for the answer. (I mean nothing ill by making this observation)


Feel free to wait for _your_ final answer from madrelingua, but don't expect the rest of us not to participate, please.


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## Elisa68

> Originally Posted by *erick*
> _...Forgive me for saying so but we're confusing ourselves by having _
> _English speakers claw for the answer_


 
Erick, permettimi di dissentire. A volte i madrelingua non colgono appieno il significato di una frase detta in una lingua straniera. Quindi la partecipazioni di tutti aiuta a dare traduzioni e definizioni migliori. Senza contare che tutti i madrelingua inglesi che intervengono qui hanno un'ottima padronanza della lingua italiana e conoscono significati e nuances che il più delle volte sfuggono anche a noi._ _


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## b2b

TimLA said:
			
		

> The idiomatic phrase "play it by ear" comes from the musical ability to play a song (do something) without having seen the music (without a plan). I wonder if there is a similar musical analog in Italian -- I'm sure that's what you are asking.



Yes, there is; it's "andare ad orecchio", but it has only this meaning (playing something without reading music), and it can't be used on situation described by post #1;

ciao


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## lsp

I'm fluent in English and I am not sure I can grasp the differences among  "we'll adjust our plans as the situation changes," "and then we'll see" and "play it by ear."


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## ElaineG

OK, let's all take a step back.  I'm not happy with the tone that this thread seems to have taken on.  I'm not pointing fingers, for now, but let's cool it.

Everyone's contributions are welcome -- 1) as Elisa said, the further use of example and clarification always gets better answers;

and 2) this is a _learning_ forum.  Everyone is entitled to try, and then the madrelingua correct our mistakes as we do theirs.

Erick, I understand your frustration in trying getting a translation that seems apt to you, but sometimes we take a circuitous route here, and learn other things along the way.  The important thing is that we arrive, eventually.

And the really important thing is that we remain _cordial and friendly_ while doing so.


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## Otter

Ciao a tutti,
I’m trying to find a translation for ‘play it by ear’, exactly as erick originally posted:

And I have read this entire thread but cannot ferret out a translation. 

What was decided?

Thanks.  Grazie.

Otter.​


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## Drusillo

I think that Isp (post 3) and Elisa (post 6) have hit the mark!
Because, as posted by b2b (post 9), "suonare ad orecchio" can be used only when refering to the music field.
Ciao


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## Otter

Thanks. Can someone help me translate the following and give me a more clear understanding of the implications of each. Maybe I missed it but I don't see any English translations for either of the below or any description of how they differ in relation to the English idiom, let's play it by ear.

From post no. 3:

"Usciamo insieme questo fine settimana. Ti chiamo venerdì sera e poi vediamo (come vanno le cose)

From post no. 6

Per cui puoi dire:
_come vanno le cose_
_decidiamo lì per lì_

_Improvvisare_ non vuol dire _improvvisamente_ (suddenly) ma "to do something without preparation". Quindi potrebbe andare bene come traduzione di _play it by ear_, anche se non in questo contesto.

Thanks.


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## Paulfromitaly

I vote for _decidiamo lì per lì_ or *decidiamo al momento*. (something like: we'll make up our mind offhand)


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## pandinorombante

Paulfromitaly said:


> I vote for _decidiamo lì per lì_ or *decidiamo al momento*. (something like: we'll make up our mind offhand)


 
Sorry if I reopen this thread, but I ended up here and I thought to have found (or to find??  ) an equivalent expression for "play it by ear".. in Italian we would say with the same nuance "andare a naso" which means literally "to go by nose"... 

What's your opinion about, my friends? 

Ps: can someone answer to my doubt in the meantime? Thanks!


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## TimLA

pandinorombante said:


> Sorry to reopen this thread, but I ended up here, and I thought I found an equivalent expression for "play it by ear"...
> in Italian we would say with the same nuance "andare a naso"
> which means literally "to go by nose"...
> What's your opinion about, my friends?


 
Small world!
Do you want synonyms in English or translations to Italian?

"Play it by ear" (outside of a musical context) means to "go with the flow" "take things as they come" "we'll improvise".

I learned "a naso" here on the forums, and it seems more like "my best guess" or "just guessing".

Your "andare a naso" seems to be pretty close to "play it by ear".


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## london calling

TimLA said:


> Your "andare a naso" seems to be pretty close to "play it by ear". I agree!


 
My husband's eldest daughter was given a company car which was murderously difficult to park, because the mirrors were worse than useless and the back was very high with small windows..... One day, I borrowed it and when I got back home I asked her:

How the hell are you supposed to park that!?

She laughed and replied "a orecchio"!

Did she coin a new term? Or does anybody else say "parcheggiare a orecchio"? And would we in English say "to park by ear" (as a joke)?!


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## pandinorombante

london calling said:


> My husband's eldest daughter was given a company car which was murderously difficult to park, because the mirrors were worse than useless and the back was very high with small windows..... One day, I borrowed it and when I got back home I asked her:
> 
> How the hell are you supposed to park that!?
> 
> She laughed and replied "a orecchio"!
> 
> Did she coin a new term? Or does anybody else say "parcheggiare a orecchio"? And would we in English say "to park by ear" (as a joke)?!


 
Actually there are two expressions:

"andare a naso" and "andare a orecchio": the former has a more general use, whereas the latter is usually referred to music or anyway to a context where you can use the sense of hearing like in Londoncalling's example (you park the car and you hear some noise if you smash it against the other cars already parked  .. but "to park by ear" is definitely not a common expression).

So, I would suggest that the equivalent of "play it by ear" is "andare a naso" in general and "andare a orecchio" when referred to music/noise.

Hope to have been clear, but I'll be waiting for your opinions anyway! 

Ps: can you clarify my doubts in post 16 ('I thought to have found' or 'I thought to find'?) and also in this post: 'hope to have been clear' or 'hope to be clear')? Thanks a lot!!!


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## qwill

pandinorombante said:


> Actually there are two expressions:
> 
> &quot;andare a naso&quot; and &quot;andare a orecchio&quot;: the former has a more general use, whereas the latter is usually referred to music or anyway to a context where you can use the sense of hearing like in Londoncalling's example (you park the car and you hear some noise if you smash it against the other cars already parked  .. but &quot;to park by ear&quot; is definitely not a common expression).
> 
> So, I would suggest that the equivalent of &quot;play it by ear&quot; is &quot;andare a naso&quot; in general and &quot;andare a orecchio&quot; when referred to music/noise.
> 
> Hope to have been clear, but I'll be waiting for your opinions anyway!
> 
> Ps: can you clarify my doubts in post 16 ('I thought to have found' or 'I thought to find'?) and also in this post: 'hope to have been clear' or 'hope to be clear')? Thanks a lot!!!


 
Londoncalling's example is fun because it's really something we hear a LOT of times in Paris, like, talking (ironically) of a bad driver and saying "He/she parks "by ear" [à l'oreille].But indeed in Post 1 example, the proposition "andare a naso" [au "pif" in french / "conk" in english] sticks wonderfully to the idea. It would be even funnier if there's a more familial word for "naso" [as our "pif"]...


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## You little ripper!

qwill said:


> It would be even funnier if there's a more familial word for "naso" [as our "pif"]...


*To go by snout* is one that is occasionally heard.


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## paolar

london calling said:


> My husband's eldest daughter was given a company car which was murderously difficult to park, because the mirrors were worse than useless and the back was very high with small windows..... One day, I borrowed it and when I got back home I asked her:
> 
> How the hell are you supposed to park that!?
> 
> She laughed and replied "a orecchio"!
> 
> Did she coin a new term? Or does anybody else say "parcheggiare a orecchio"? And would we in English say "to park by ear" (as a joke)?!


 
In questo caso in italiano standard direi piuttosto "a occhio".
La rsposta "a orecchio" è senz'altro ironica, mescola il senso della vista e quello dell'udito, attribuendo all'udito ciò che può solo essere visto. (è una sinestesia!)


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## Otter

pandinorombante said:


> Sorry if I reopen this thread,  but I ended up here and I thought to have found (or to find??  ) an equivalent expression for "play it by ear".. in Italian we would say with the same nuance "andare a naso" which means literally "to go by nose"...
> 
> What's your opinion about, my friends?
> 
> Ps: can someone answer to my doubt in the meantime? Thanks!


*Ciao a tutti,

I haven't been on this forum for a long time so it was good to get an email notice that this thread had been reopened and to see the alternatives offered. 

To respond to your query/doubt about, ". . . but I ended up here and I thought to have found (or to find??  )"

I would go with, ". . . but I ended up here and think I have found. . . ."

or ". . .but I ended up here and thought I had found. . ."  

The first (present tense 'think') indicates that, at the time you wrote it, you still believed you had found an equivalent expression.

The second (past tense 'thought') implies, to me anyway, that you thought you had found an equivalent expression but by the time you wrote the post, you had decided it was not really equivalent but, for whatever reason, were bringing it into discussion (perhaps for feedback or comparison with another expression you were about to introduce.  

Whew.  I hope that makes sense.

I have begun formally studying Italian I at a university and am again/still overwhelmed by the complexity of Italian grammar.  You all may be hearing from me again - a lot.

Otter.*


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## Skin

pandinorombante said:


> Actually there are two expressions:
> 
> "andare a naso" and "andare a orecchio": the former has a more general use, whereas the latter is usually referred to music or anyway to a context where you can use the sense of hearing like in Londoncalling's example (you park the car and you hear some noise if you smash it against the other cars already parked  .. but "to park by ear" is definitely not a common expression).
> 
> So, I would suggest that the equivalent of "play it by ear" is "andare a naso" in general and "andare a orecchio" when referred to music/noise.
> 
> Hope to have been clear, but I'll be waiting for your opinions anyway!
> 
> Ps: can you clarify my doubts in post 16 ('I thought to have found' or 'I thought to find'?) and also in this post: 'hope to have been clear' or 'hope to be clear')? Thanks a lot!!!


 
Ciao Pandino
Non sono d'accordo che "play it by ear" significhi "andare a naso" in generale e "andare ad orecchio" in riferimento alla musica.
A mio pare "play it by ear" equivale a decidere sul momento, improvvisare, come è stato detto da molti, mentre l'italiano "andare a naso" sottintende una decisione presa secondo "il fiuto", in modo incerto e istintivo. Insomma, senza un disegno razionale.
La distinzione è sottile, certo, ma c'è.


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## london calling

pandinorombante said:


> "andare a naso" and "andare a orecchio": the former has a more general use, whereas the latter is usually referred to music or anyway to a context where you can use the sense of hearing like in Londoncalling's example (you park the car and you hear some noise if you smash it against the other cars already parked  That's exactly what Tiziana meant when she made the joke!.. but "to park by ear" is definitely not a common expression).
> 
> 
> Ps: can you clarify my doubts in post 16 ('I thought to have found' or 'I thought to find'?) and also in this post: 'hope to have been clear' or 'hope to be clear')? Thanks a lot!!!


 
I_ hope I've been clear/I hope that's clear....I hope I've managed to explain myself clearly/I hope I've explained myself clearly_ (preferisco quest'ultima!).

Skin, thinking about it, you're right! _To play it by ear_ is to improvise, not to go by snout (nice one, Charles!) . 

However, in English we _play music by ear_ if we don't know how to read music, so that is the expression that pandino is referring to, I think.


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## pandinorombante

london calling said:


> I_ hope I've been clear/I hope that's clear....I hope I've managed to explain myself clearly/I hope I've explained myself clearly_ (preferisco quest'ultima!).
> 
> Skin, thinking about it, you're right! _To play it by ear_ is to improvise, not to go by snout (nice one, Charles!) .


 
Thanks a lot, Londoncalling and Otter! much appreciated, your corrections are always precious (and my mistakes always idiot)! 



Skin said:


> Ciao Pandino
> Non sono d'accordo che "play it by ear" significhi "andare a naso" in generale e "andare ad orecchio" in riferimento alla musica.
> A mio pare "play it by ear" equivale a decidere sul momento, improvvisare, come è stato detto da molti, mentre l'italiano "andare a naso" sottintende una decisione presa secondo "il fiuto", in modo incerto e istintivo. Insomma, senza un disegno razionale.
> La distinzione è sottile, certo, ma c'è.


 
Ci ho riflettuto molto, Skin, hai ragione... la distinzione è (molto) sottile, ma c'è!!! Eccome se c'è! 

In italiano si dice "andare a naso", "andare a orecchio", "andare a occhio" (ma non "andare a lingua" o "andare a dito" per citare gli altri due sensi   ) per intendere che si decide o ci si comporta seguendo l'istinto e ovviamente la situazione suggerisce quale dei sensi va usato per seguire l'istinto...  improvvisare, invece, ha una sfumatura leggermente diversa, nel senso che tutti conosciamo e che è reso alla stessa maniera in inglese da 'to improvise' come conferma Londoncalling!

Ps: questo thread è stato molto utile e divertente, grazie mille a tutti!  Ho fatto bene a riaprirlo!


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## Blackman

Aiutatemi a gustare appieno il sapore di questa espressione, per favore.

"Let's play it by ear and see what happens."

Non riesco a trovare un equivalente in italiano.

Grazie.


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## fabi64

Suoniamolo/a a orecchio e vediamo cosa succede.


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## empusa

Potrebbe non essere connesso esclusivamente con l'ambito musicale.
Potrebbe voler dire più in generale "Improvvisiamo e vediamo che succede"


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## Murphy

empusa said:


> Potrebbe non essere connesso esclusivamente con l'ambito musicale.
> Potrebbe voler dire più in generale "Improvvisiamo e vediamo che succede"


 Although it originates from the field of music, the phrase has long been used in a much wider sense and can simply mean "to improvise".

See this explanation.


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## london calling

D'accordo con Murphy (of course), mi permetto di suggerire "navigare a vista".


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## Blackman

london calling said:


> D'accordo con Murphy (of course), mi permetto di suggerire "navigare a vista".



Ecco, non mi veniva questo...

Grazie mille a tutti.


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## MünchnerFax

Un'altra opzione meno comune è _andare a sentimento_.


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## L'equilibrista

Anche "andare a braccio", 
così riproduci l'uso figurato di una parte del corpo.


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## rick11

_Aiutatemi a gustare appieno il sapore di questa espressione, per favore.

"Let's play it by ear and see what happens."

Non riesco a trovare un equivalente in italiano.
_
This is the best I think:* decidiamo lì per lì* or *decidiamo al momento.

*


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## london calling

Senza contesto non lo possiamo sapere, rick.


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## rick11

Sì, certo. Avevo visto una vignetta nella quale un tizio era la telefono con un amico ed aveva una racchetta da tennis in mano...
"_Let's play it by ear and see what the weather will be like..._"
Just a "sound similarity"...


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## london calling

E allora in questo contesto hai ragione tu.


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## rick11

. Thanks!


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