English Idioms with Fruit

Food is a very important part of our lives, and no wonder there are quite a few expressions made with the names of fruits and food in general.

Below are some of very common expressions that you can hear in every-day English.

The apple of one’s eye – something particularly precious to someone

Example: Sam loved all of his kids very much, but his little daughter was the apple of his eye.

The apple never falls from the tree – this expression is used when describing parents and children, meaning that they are very similar, very often used negatively

Example: He always tells lies, like his father. Well, the apple never falls far from the tree.

To compare apples with oranges – to compare things that are very different

Example: You cannot compare rock and country music; it’s like comparing apples with oranges.

To go bananas – become extremely angry or excited

Example: He went bananas, when he got laid off last week.

The cherry on the cake / the cherry on the top – some detail that is added to something else to make it even more enriched

Example: My wedding was beautiful, and my friends coming from Europe was just the cherry on the cake.

To be nuts / to go nuts – to be crazy, insane

Example: When he heard that his son wants to drop out of college, he went nuts.

To hear through the grapevine – to learn about something by means of gossip or rumour

Example: I heard through the grapevine that Annie and Mike are getting married.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade – when things do not go as planned, try to look at the bright side; try to find something good in a bad situation

Example: At first I was devastated, when I lost my job, but then I decided to Japan, which was my dream destination. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right?

Low hanging fruit – something or someone that could be won or obtained very easily

Example: When cutting costs, a lot of companies are going with the low hanging fruit – their advertising budget.

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