Fruit Idioms

Fruit idioms are not only a fun way to express ourselves, but they also provide insight into the culture and history of the English language. In this page, we will explore the world of fruit idioms and their meanings.

Subpages of Fruit Idioms

List of Idioms about Fruits

  • A bite at the cherry
  • A plum job
  • Apples and Oranges
  • As American as apple pie
  • As red as a cherry
  • Bad apple (especially US)
  • Cherry-pick
  • Cool as a cucumber
  • Go bananas
  • Go pear-shaped
  • Lemon
  • Life is a bowl of cherries
  • Not give a fig
  • To be a peach
  • Peaches and cream
  • Second banana
  • Sour grapes
  • Speak with a plum in (one’s) mouth
  • The apple never falls far from the tree
  • Apple of someone’s eye
  • To Bear Fruit
  • To go bananas
  • Top banana
  • Upset the apple cart
  • The cherry on the cake
  • When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
  • Big Apple
  • Through the Grapevine
  • A second bite at the cherry

Idioms about Fruits Video

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Fruit Idioms: 25 Useful Idioms about Fruits in English

Fruit Idioms with Meaning and Examples

Cherry Idioms

A bite at the cherry

  • Meaning: An opportunity to do something that may not be available later.
  • Example: “I missed my chance to study abroad last year, but I’m hoping to get a bite at the cherry this time around.”

As red as a cherry

  • Meaning: Very red in color.
  • Example: “Her cheeks turned as red as a cherry when she realized she had made a mistake.”

Cherry-pick

  • Meaning: To selectively choose the best or most desirable things.
  • Example: “The coach is going to cherry-pick the best players for the team.”

The cherry on the cake

  • Meaning: Refers to something that completes or enhances an already good situation.
  • Example: Getting a promotion at work was great, but getting a bonus on top of it was the cherry on the cake.

A second bite at the cherry

  • Meaning: A second chance to do something or an opportunity to try again.
  • Example: I didn’t get the job the first time, but they called me back for a second interview, so I have a second bite at the cherry.

Life is a bowl of cherries

  • Meaning: Life is easy and enjoyable.
  • Example: After winning the lottery, he felt like life was a bowl of cherries

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Fruit Idioms: 25 Useful Idioms about Fruits in English

Apple Idioms

Apples and Oranges

  • Meaning: Two things that are completely different and cannot be compared.
  • Example: “Comparing the salaries of doctors and teachers is like comparing apples and oranges.”

Note: This is generally used with a form of “compare.”

As American as apple pie

  • Meaning: Something that is quintessentially American.
  • Example:  When it comes to baseball, he’s as American as apple pie.

Bad apple (especially US)

  • Meaning: A person who is dishonest or disruptive and may negatively affect a group.
  • Example: “The new employee turned out to be a bad apple, causing trouble for everyone in the office.”

The apple never falls far from the tree

  • Meaning: Children often resemble their parents in behavior or personality.
  • Example: “Her daughter is just like her – the apple never falls far from the tree.”

Apple of someone’s eye

  • Meaning: Someone who is cherished or loved deeply.
  • Example: “Her granddaughter is the apple of her eye. She loves spending time with her.”

Upset the apple cart

  • Meaning: To cause trouble or upset a situation.
  • Example: “He really upset the apple cart when he started spreading rumors about his coworkers.”

Big Apple

  • Meaning: Refers to New York City
  • ExampleI always dreamed of living in the Big Apple.

Lemon Idioms

Lemon

  • Meaning: Something that is of poor quality or does not work as intended.
  • Example: “I bought a used car that turned out to be a lemon. It broke down after just a few weeks.”

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

  • Meaning: To turn a difficult situation into something positive or to make the best of a bad situation.
  • Example: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade is a great attitude to have when faced with challenges.

Banana Idioms

Go bananas

  • Meaning: To become very angry, crazy, or annoyed.
  • Example: “My boss will go bananas if I don’t finish this report on time.”

Second banana

  • Meaning: A person who is in a subordinate or less important position.
  • Example: “After the CEO, the CFO is considered the second banana in the company.”

To go bananas

  • Meaning: To become very excited or enthusiastic about something.
  • Example: “The fans went bananas when their team won the championship.”

Top banana

  • Meaning: The most important or influential person in a group or organization.
  • Example: “As the CEO, he’s the top banana in the company.”

Plum Idioms

A plum job

  • Meaning: A desirable or well-paying job.
  • Example: “After years of hard work, she finally landed a plum job at a top law firm.”

Speak with a plum in (one’s) mouth

  • Meaning: To speak in a way that is formal or affected.
  • Example: “She always speaks with a plum in her mouth, even when she’s talking to her friends.”

Peach Idioms

To be a peach

  • Meaning: To be a kind, pleasant, or helpful person.
  • Example: “My neighbor is such a peach. She always helps me out when I need it.”

Peaches and cream

  • Meaning: Something that is very pleasant or enjoyable.
  • Example: “The vacation was peaches and cream from start to finish.”

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Fruit Idioms: 25 Useful Idioms about Fruits in English

Other Idioms about Fruits

Cool as a cucumber

  • Meaning: Calm and composed, especially in stressful situations.
  • Example: “Despite being under a lot of pressure, she remained as cool as a cucumber throughout the meeting.”

Go pear-shaped

  • Meaning: To go wrong or fail.
  • Example: “The project started off well, but it quickly went pear-shaped when we realized we didn’t have enough resources.”

Not give a fig

  • Meaning: Not to care at all.
  • Example: “He doesn’t give a fig about what others think of him.”

Sour grapes

  • Meaning: Disparaging something that one cannot have or achieve.
  • Example: “After he was passed over for a promotion, he claimed that he didn’t want it anyway. It was just sour grapes.”

To Bear Fruit

  • Meaning: To produce a positive or desirable result.
  • Example: “After years of hard work, his efforts finally bore fruit when he was promoted to a higher position.”

Through the Grapevine

  • Meaning: To hear or learn something through informal channels or gossip networks, rather than through official or formal means.
  • Example: The rumor about the new product launch spread through the grapevine among industry insiders.