List of useful idioms about fruits with meaning and examples. Learn cherry idioms, apple idioms, orange idioms, banana idioms, lemon idioms, plum idioms, and peach idioms in English.
Fruit Idioms and Phrases
Apple of my eye
Meaning: someone or something that is cherished above all others.
Example: My daughter is the apple of my eye.
Bite the bullet
Meaning: to endure a painful or difficult situation with courage.
Example: I have to bite the bullet and tell my boss that I made a mistake.
Sour grapes
Meaning: to disparage something that one cannot have.
Example: He said he didn’t like the new car, but it was just sour grapes because he couldn’t afford it.
Not give a fig
Meaning: To not care at all about something
Example: Do whatever you want, I do not give a fig.
Peaches and cream
Meaning: something that is perfect or ideal.
Example: The vacation was peaches and cream. We had a great time.
Lemon
Meaning: something that is flawed or defective.
Example: This car is a lemon. It always breaks down.
Orange
Meaning: something that is the result of mixing two different things or ideas.
Example: The new movie is an orange of action and romance.
Grapevine
Meaning: the informal means of communication that spread rumors.
Example: I heard on the grapevine that the company is going to lay off some employees.
Cherry-pick
Meaning: to choose only the best or most desirable things.
Example: The coach is going to cherry-pick the best players for the team.
Banana republic
Meaning: a country that is politically unstable and dependent on a single export.
Example: Some people think that our country is becoming a banana republic because we rely so heavily on one industry.
A peachy keen day
Meaning: a day that is perfect or delightful.
Example: I had a peachy keen day at the beach yesterday.
Forbidden fruit
Meaning: something that is tempting but off-limits.
Example: She knew that dating her boss was forbidden fruit, but she couldn’t resist.
A plum job
Meaning: a desirable or well-paying job.
Example: He was lucky to get such a plum job right out of college.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Meaning: a child will often exhibit characteristics similar to those of their parents.
Example: My daughter loves to read, just like me. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Pomegranate smile
Meaning: a smile that is full of secrets or mystery.
Example: She gave me a pomegranate smile when I asked her where she was going.
Grape picker
Meaning: a low-paying, menial job.
Example: He had to work as a grape picker during the summer to earn some money.
A pear-shaped situation
Meaning: a situation that has gone wrong.
Example: The party was supposed to be great, but everything went pear-shaped when the food was delivered late.
The apple cart upset
Meaning: to cause a disruption or upset.
Example: The new policy really upset the apple cart and caused a lot of controversy.
Cherry on top
Meaning: an extra or additional benefit or positive aspect.
Example: The salary was great, and the benefits were even better. The signing bonus was just the cherry on top.
The apple never falls far from the tree
Meaning: Family characteristics are usually inherited
Example: Her daughter soon showed her own musical talent, proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Pineapple express
Meaning: a weather pattern that brings heavy rainfall.
Example: The Pineapple Express is coming, so be prepared for some heavy rain.
Full of beans
Meaning: full of energy or enthusiasm.
Example: The children were full of beans after playing in the park all day.
Speak with a plum in (one’s) mouth
Meaning: To speak in a manner that is indicative of a high social class. Primarily heard in UK.
Example: He spoke with such a plum in his mouth that none of us working-class sods could stand to listen to him.
Peachy
Meaning: pleasant or delightful.
Example: The weather was peachy, so we decided to have a picnic in the park.
The grape is sour
Meaning: to criticize or belittle something because it is unattainable.
Example: He said he didn’t want the promotion anyway, but it was clear that the grape is sour.
Big Apple
Meaning: An informal name for New York City
Example: We spent the weekend in the Big Apple.
A fruitless effort
Meaning: an effort that is unlikely to succeed.
Example: I tried to fix the broken vase, but it was a fruitless effort.
The cherry of the cake
Meaning: the best part of something.
Example: The concert was great, but the encore was the cherry of the cake.
A bad apple
Meaning: a person who is dishonest or disruptive.
Example: He was a bad apple who always caused trouble at work.
A plum in one’s mouth
Meaning: speaking in a refined or elegant manner.
Example: She always spoke with a plum in her mouth, which made her sound very posh.
Grape expectations
Meaning: unrealistic or excessive expectations.
Example: He had grape expectations for his new job and was disappointed when he found out it was more challenging than he thought.
Lemon law
Meaning: a law that protects consumers who buy defective products.
Example: The car was a lemon, but luckily there was a lemon law that protected me from having to keep it.
A rotten banana
Meaning: a person who is a bad influence.
Example: I don’t want my children hanging around with that rotten banana.
A fruit basket upset
Meaning: a chaotic or disorganized situation.
Example: The party was a complete fruit basket upset, with people coming and going at all hours of the night.
The grapevine has it
Meaning: a rumor or piece of information that is circulating informally.
Example: The grapevine has it that the company is about to be sold.
The cream of the crop
Meaning: the best of a group.
Example: Out of all the applicants, she was the cream of the crop.
A plum assignment
Meaning: a desirable or interesting task or project.
Example: I was given a plum assignment at work, and I can’t wait to get started on it.
A cherry bomb
Meaning: something that is loud or attention-grabbing.
Example: The new sports car was a cherry bomb that turned heads wherever it went.
A banana skin
Meaning: a mistake or mishap.
Example: He slipped on a banana skin and fell down the stairs.
The apple of discord
Meaning: something that causes disagreement or strife.
Example: The decision about which proposal to accept became the apple of discord among the board members.
A peach of a person
Meaning: a kind and pleasant person.
Example: My grandmother was a peach of a person who always had a kind word for everyone.
The grapevine is buzzing
Meaning: there is a lot of talk or speculation about something.
Example: The grapevine is buzzing with rumors about a possible merger.
Cherry-picking
Meaning: selecting only the most favorable options or examples.
Example: The politician was accused of cherry-picking data to support his argument.
A lemonade stand
Meaning: a small business venture usually run by children.
Example: The children set up a lemonade stand on the corner to raise money for charity.
A ripe old age
Meaning: a very old age.
Example: My grandmother lived to a ripe old age of 99.
A plum in the pudding
Meaning: a rich or wealthy person
Example: After winning the lottery, John became a plum pudding overnight.
A peachy day
Meaning: a day that is very pleasant or enjoyable.
Example: The weather was perfect, and we had a peachy day at the beach.
Apples and Oranges
Meaning: Of two different classes, not comparable
Example: Comparing beer and good chardonnay is like comparing apples and oranges – they’re two different things.
To be in a jam
Meaning: to be in a difficult or tricky situation.
Example: I’m in a jam because I promised to be in two places at once.
To be bananas
Meaning: to be crazy or irrational.
Example: He’s been acting bananas ever since he lost his job.
To bear fruit
Meaning: to produce good results or outcomes.
Example: The new marketing strategy is finally starting to bear fruit.
A fruitless search
Meaning: a search that yields no results or leads.
Example: We conducted a fruitless search for the missing documents.
The apple of one’s eye
Meaning: someone who is cherished or loved above all others.
Example: His granddaughter is the apple of his eye.
To be the pear in the fruit salad
Meaning: to be the odd one out or different from the rest.
Example: She felt like the pear in the fruit salad at the party because she didn’t know anyone.
To be in a pineapple
Meaning: to be in a difficult or uncomfortable situation.
Example: I’m in a pineapple because I lost my passport on the first day of my trip.
To be a plum job
Meaning: to be a highly desirable or sought-after job.
Example: The position of CEO is a plum job that many people would love to have.
The fruit of the vine
Meaning: wine.
Example: The vineyard produces some of the finest fruit of the vine in the region.
To grape about something
Meaning: to complain or gripe about something.
Example: He’s always graping about his job, but he never does anything to change it.
To go bananas over something
Meaning: to become extremely excited or enthusiastic about something.
Example: She went bananas over the new fashion collection.
To be in the cherry-picking seat
Meaning: to have the advantage of choosing the best or most desirable options.
Example: As the employer, she was in the cherry-picking seat when it came to selecting new hires.
The forbidden fruit
Meaning: something that is desirable but off-limits or forbidden.
Example: Dating a coworker was like the forbidden fruit in the office.
A juicy rumor
Meaning: a rumor that is exciting or scandalous.
Example: There was a juicy rumor going around that the CEO was going to be fired.
To be the lemon
Meaning: to be a disappointment or failure.
Example: The new product was a lemon, and it didn’t sell well.
To make lemonade out of lemons
Meaning: to turn a difficult situation into a positive one.
Example: After losing his job, he decided to start his own business and made lemonade out of lemons.
To be a sour grape
Meaning: to be resentful or jealous of someone else’s success.
Example: She’s always a sour grape when someone else gets promoted.
The pick of the crop
Meaning: the best or most desirable of a group.
Example: These are the pick of the crop when it comes to designer handbags.
To be in the apple pie order
Meaning: to be in perfect or excellent condition.
Example: After the renovations, the house was in apple pie order.
As red as a cherry
Meaning: Very red
Example: Her cheeks were as red as a cherry.
To be as cool as a cucumber
Meaning: to be calm and composed.
Example: During the interview, even though she was nervous, she managed to stay as cool as a cucumber and answer all the questions with confidence.
To go pear-shaped
Meaning: to go wrong or become a failure.
Example: Everything was going well until the project went pear-shaped.
A bite at the cherry
Meaning: A good opportunity that isn’t available to everyone
Example: You only get a bite at the cherry in life.
To be the cream of the crop
Meaning: to be the very best of a group.
Example: Out of all the applicants, she was the cream of the crop.
To be a peach
Meaning: to be a pleasant and likable person.
Example: She’s such a peach, always kind and friendly to everyone.
To have a grapevine
Meaning: to have a network of sources who provide information or gossip.
Example: She had a grapevine at work and always knew the latest news.
To have cherry-picked information
Meaning: to selectively choose information that supports one’s own agenda.
Example: The report was biased because they had cherry-picked information to support their conclusion.
To be a plum pudding
Meaning: to be a rich or wealthy person.
Example: He inherited a fortune from his family and became a plum pudding overnight.
To bear the brunt
Meaning: to endure the worst part of something unpleasant.
Example: The residents of the town bore the brunt of the hurricane’s damage.
A fruit basket turnover
Meaning: a situation in which there are many changes or replacements.
Example: After the company was bought out, there was a fruit basket turnover in management.
To be the apple of discord
Meaning: to be a source of conflict or disagreement.
Example: The distribution of profits was the apple of discord in the partnership.
To be in a plum position
Meaning: to be in an advantageous or favorable position.
Example: After years of hard work, she was finally in a plum position at the company.
To be as nutty as a fruitcake
Meaning: to be crazy or eccentric.
Example: The new neighbor was as nutty as a fruitcake and did strange things.
The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree
Meaning: children often resemble their parents in behavior or personality.
Example: He’s just like his father – the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.
To be a ripe old age
Meaning: to be very old.
Example: She lived to a ripe old age of 95.
To be a grape escape
Meaning: a situation in which one escapes from something undesirable or unpleasant.
Example: Going on vacation was a grape escape from the stress of work.
To be as sweet as honey
Meaning: to be kind and friendly.
Example: She’s always as sweet as honey to everyone she meets.
To be the cream in the coffee
Meaning: to be an essential and valuable addition to something.
Example: The new employee was the cream in the coffee and made the team more productive.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
Meaning: Make the best of a bad situation
Example: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade—it’ll help you keep a positive attitude.
A rotten apple
Meaning: a person who has a negative influence on others.
Example: The manager was a rotten apple who always caused problems with the team.
To go bananas over someone
Meaning: to be in love with someone.
Example: Ever since they met, he’s been going bananas over her.
To be the pineapple of someone’s eye
Meaning: to be someone’s favorite or most valued person.
Example: After they got married, she became the pineapple of his eye.
Through the Grapevine
Meaning: Via gossip
Example: I heard through the grapevine that Ivan and Amber are going out. Is it true?
To be as cool as a watermelon
Meaning: to be calm and collected.
Example: I put the watermelon in the fridge for a few hours to make it cool and refreshing on a hot summer day.
The fruit of one’s labor
Meaning: the positive results of one’s hard work and efforts.
Example: After years of studying and practicing, winning the competition was the fruit of her labor.
To be in the pits
Meaning: to be in a low or depressing state.
Example: After the breakup, she was in the pits for a while.
To be a sourpuss
Meaning: to be a person who is constantly negative or in a bad mood.
Example: He’s always complaining and being a sourpuss about everything.
A juicy story
Meaning: an interesting or scandalous story that is worth hearing.
Example: She had a juicy story about the celebrity that everyone wanted to hear.
To be a lemon
Meaning: to be a product that is defective or doesn’t work properly.
Example: The car turned out to be a lemon and needed constant repairs.
To be as sharp as a pineapple
Meaning: to be quick-witted and intelligent.
Example: He’s always as sharp as a pineapple and comes up with clever solutions.
To be a fruitcake
Meaning: to be crazy or eccentric.
Example: The new teacher was a fruitcake and had some strange teaching methods.
To be the apple of someone’s eye
Meaning: to be someone’s favorite person.
Example: Even though they had many children, she was always the apple of her father’s eye.
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