Re: "As mad as cheese"

At 7:28 PM -0700 31/10/06, Google Kreme wrote:
>On 31 Oct 2006, at 11:54 , Mark Smith wrote:
>>This is the origin of the more recently used British English usage, 
>>such as in the term: "Its all gone pear-shaped" in which one is 
>>describing the descent of an endevour into disaster, chaos etc. The 
>>metaphor plays upon the (at the time at which it became trendy) 
>>propagandized truism that being pear-shaped is a complete disaster 
>>for a woman.
>
>Cite source, please.
>
>As I understand it, its origins lie in the world of aviation, either 
>in describing a blown out jet engine (which looks rather 
>pear-shaped) or in describing what shape an aeroplane is after 
>stalling on takeoff and plummeting to the ground.
>
>However, I've heard a few other theories (deflated/ing hot air 
>balloon for example).
>

	Wikipedia appears to agree with Lewis that it comes from the 
world of aviation (and cites the OED in support, so I think is on 
very solid ground there), but is very unclear as to which of the many 
possible etymologies is the correct one.
	Given that it comes from the generally rather male dominated 
aviation world, I'd be quite surprised if it had much to do with a 
womans shape.
	I will say, though, that my experience well known folk 
etymologies like the one Mark quotes are wrong much more often than 
not.
	Cheers
		David
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