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55 interesting fruit idioms

Fruit idioms

Here is a big list of English fruit idioms with definitions and example sentences.

1- A bite at the cherry is a chance or opportunity to do something. Similarly, another or a second bite at the cherry is a second chance.

Example – The athlete will get another bite at the cherry to set a new world record at the next Olympics.

 

2 – To speak with a plum in your mouth is a British idiom that means to speak in a way that is upper class or regarded as rich people’s talk.

Example – None of the working men at the wharf want to listen to him, he speaks with a plum in his mouth.

 

3 – A plum job is a job that is both easy to do and well paid.

Example – She would love to have a plum job like some of the government workers she knows.

 

4 – An apple-knocker is a country person that is simple and not sophisticated. It is also used to describe farmworkers.

Example – The city people didn’t want to talk to the farmworkers and called them apple-knockers when they were not around.

 

5 – An apple-polisher is a person who praises and flatters someone else too much.

Example – That new worker in the office is such an apple-polisher, he is always sucking up to the boss.

 

6 – Apples and oranges are two things that are very different.

Example – You cannot ask both of them to come to dinner, they are like apples and oranges and don’t get along at all.

 

7 – A bad apple or rotten apple is a bad person. It is often used to describe a person in a group that has a negative influence on others.

Example – I hope that your son is not hanging out with Johnny, he’s a bad apple.

 

8 – Banana oil can be used to describe talk that does not make sense or is insincere.

Example – You are saying I am pretty enough to be a model, stop the banana oil!

 

9 – A banana republic is a small, usually poor and corrupt country that is run badly for the profit of a dictator.

Example – Living there is cheap but is a banana republic, you cannot safely invest or do business there.

 

10 – A banana skin is something that causes things to go wrong.

Example – Putting that pesticide on the crops was a real banana skin for the farmer, half of his plants have died.

 

11- To bear fruit is to get good results from something you have done.

Example – All your study will bear fruit when you look for a job.

banana tree and flower
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12 – To blow a raspberry or blow a strawberry is to blow air out of your mouth while sticking your tongue out and making a silly noise. This is done to show dislike for something.

Example – The children blew raspberries at the kid who told a bad joke.

 

13 – A cherry on top or the cherry on the cake is the final touch or act to complete something.

Example – The weather was terrible on our holiday but the cherry on the cake was when we lost our luggage on the trip home.

 

14 – When you cherry-pick, you choose the best thing or option carefully. It can also mean that others do not get a chance to take these things and you have an unfair advantage.

Example – The football team was very rich and was able to cherry-pick the best players in the country.

 

15 – To cut your peaches means to continue doing whatever were or are currently doing.

Example – I am busy cooking dinner right now, go cut your peaches and come back in 30 minutes.

 

16 – A Fruit, fruit cake, or fruit loop is used to describe a person as crazy.

Example – He is always talking about conspiracy theories, he’s a real fruit cake.

 

17 – The fruits of labor are the good results you achieve from hard work.

Example – He spent 2 years writing the book and saw the fruits of his labor when it became a best seller.

 

18 – Full of prunes is used to describe talk that doesn’t make sense.

Example – Don’t listen to a word he says, his talk is full of prunes.

 

19 – To go bananas means to become either very angry or very excited.

Example – The children went bananas when we told them we were going to Disneyland.

 

20 – If things go pear-shaped, they go badly wrong.

Example – Life was great until last month when everything went pear-shaped. I lost my job and then became very ill.

 

21 – The expression “go suck a lemon” is used to show you are angry at someone,

Example – Well George, you can go suck a lemon, I don’t want to listen to your excuses.

 

22 – To extend, offer, or hold out an olive branch means to offer peace or show that you want to end a disagreement with somebody.

Example – You should hold out an olive branch to John, it’s not healthy to be arguing all the time.

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23 – If you are in full fig, you are dressed in expensive, showy or fancy clothing.

Example – On the opening night of the restaurant all the customers were in full fig.

 

24 – A person in the limelight is at the center of people’s attention. It can be for either good or bad reasons.

Example – Suzy loves being in the limelight and wants everyone to listen to her.

 

25 – Irish apricots is a somewhat outdated expression that is used to refer to potatoes.

Example – Are we having meat and Irish apricots for dinner?

 

26 – A Lemon is something that is no good or doesn’t work properly.

Example – The car salesman sold me a lemon. I had to spend $2000 dollars to fix it a month after I bought it.

 

27 – The fruit idiom “Life is a bowl of cherries” is used to say that life is good and everything is going well.

Example – We just bought a new house on the beach for summer, life is a bowl of cherries.

 

28 – We say that something is like a ripe plum, or a ripe plum if we can get it with a very little amount of effort.

Example – Once we get this business running properly, customers will sign up like ripe plums.

 

29 – Low-hanging fruit are things that are very easy to get or do.

Example – There are lots of low-hanging fruit in this market, it is easy to make money.

 

30 – A melon head or coconut head is a negative term used to say someone is stupid.

Example – You left the house unlocked when you went away for the weekend, you melon head.

 

31 – A moldy fig is used to describe a person who is old-fashioned or afraid of trying new things. It can also be used to describe a person who prefers a traditional genre of music.

Example – Don’t be a moldy fig! Come with me to the rock concert tonight.

 

32 – To not give a fig means to not care at all about something.

Example – I don’t give a fig if it is raining or not tomorrow, I am going to the beach anyway.

 

33 – Something that is not worth a fig has no value and is worthless.

Example – I don’t understand why the farmer is growing those plants, they are not worth a fig on the market.

 

34 – To hear something on the grapevine is to hear it as gossip or from an informal source.

Example – I heard on the grapevine that she has a new boyfriend now.

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35 – A person who is one banana short of a bunch is not intelligent or has a mental problem.

Example – I think that guy might be one banana short of a bunch.

 

36 – A Peach is something that is very good.

Example – Have you seen Tony’s new car? It is a peach.

 

37 – To say that things are peaches and cream is to say that they are wonderful or going very well.

Example – He won the lottery and retired, his life is now peaches and cream.

 

38 – A Road apple or alley apple is a piece of horse manure.

Example – I need to wash my shoes, I stepped on a road apple on the walk home.

 

39 – The second banana is the second person in charge or the second most important person in a group.

Example – John got a promotion last week and is now the second banana in the company.

 

40 – She’ll be apples is an idiom used in Australia to say that everything will be fine.

Example – I’ve fixed the engine on your car, she’ll be apples now.

 

41 – A smart apple is used to describe a person as intelligent.

Example – That boy got a perfect score in the exam, he is one smart apple.

 

42 – The term Sour grapes is used to describe a person’s attitude when they dislike something because they cannot have it themselves.

Example – She always says that traveling is a waste of money but I think it is just sour grapes.

 

43 – To squeeze an orange is to the get most possible out of something.

Example – The company is squeezing oranges and getting their staff to work 7 days a week.

 

44 – The phrase “the apple never falls far from the tree” is used to describe people that are similar to their parents.

Example – He decided to work as an engineer just like his father, the apple never falls far from the tree.

 

45 – The apple of your eye is something or someone that you are very proud of or love very much.

Example – Her son graduated from college and is the apple of her eye.

 

46 – The Big Apple is another name for the city of New York in the United States of America.

Example – He is planning to move to The Big Apple next month and start a new job.

green pears close up
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47 – The bitter fruits are consequences or bad results that come from actions.

Example – The bitter fruits of his gambling were that he lost his house and car.

 

48 – The green apple quickstep is slang for diarrhoea. It is most commonly used to describe having this problem while traveling.

Example – He ate some bad seafood on his holiday and got the green apple quickstep.

 

49 – The Australian fruit idiom the rough end of the pineapple is used to describe getting the bad end of a deal or bad treatment.

Example – I really got the rough end of the pineapple when I took that job, it was terrible.

 

50 – The top banana is the head of a company or the most important person in an organization or activity.

Example – If you are having problems with the manager, you should go and talk to the top banana.

 

51 – To trade off the orchard for an apple means to focus on small details and not see the bigger, overall picture of something.

Example – I know there are some small problems with the company but don’t trade the orchard for an apple, business is going very well.

 

52 – If you upset the apple cart, you destroy something that is going well or ruin plans.

Example – Harry was planning on going to the party but his children got ill and upset the applecart.

 

53 – To use your coconut is to use your head or brain.

Example – Don’t give up so easily, use your coconut and find a solution.

 

54 – The expression “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” means that when you have problems in life you should try to find some good things in bad situations.

Example – I know that you are sad that can’t go on holiday but you can use that free time to learn a new skill. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

 

55 – If someone says “you’re a peach” they are thanking you for being either kind or helpful.

Example – Thank you for making me dinner last night, you’re a peach!

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