Have you ever been told that you are just cherry-picking? That means you only chose the best from a selection and could be greedy. Has anyone ever said you have sour grapes? This means you are resentful about something. For example, your friend got the promotion at work that you wanted, and now you resent her. These are fruit idioms and are what we will practice today with the aim of being able to speak English fluently.
Fruit idioms
Here is the complete list of fruit idioms we will discuss in today’s tutorial. Meanings and examples will be shown after that. Practice them in order to speak English more fluently!
- Peachy, or just peachy
- To have sour grapes
- Comparing apples to oranges
- Cherry picking
- Cherry on the cake
- Top banana
- Second banana
- Go bananas
- A lemon
- Pear shaped
- The apple never falls far from the tree
- Bear fruit
- Upset the apple cart
- Through the grapevine
- Plummy
- Bad apple
- Peaches and cream
- Life is a bowl of cherries
- Dangle a carrot
- Carrot top
- Give a fig
- Cherry red or as red as a cherry
Fruit idioms: Example sentences with meanings
One of the things to work on if you want to sound like a native is the type of vocabulary you choose to speak English with. Using common expressions, such as today’s fruit idioms like “cherry picking” or “ peachy” is one way to make your vocabulary sound more advanced. You should use idioms to make your English more natural, but make sure to not say them too much, just occasionally is best. If you say the same idioms all the time, they lose their impact.
Peachy, or just peachy
It means something is very nice, such as a day, or a feeling. It is often used in a sarcastic way.
Example: My day was just peachy. First, my car broke down, then I lost my phone.
To have sour grapes
It means to feel resentful about something.
Example: Emma has sour grapes about losing out on the promotion. She thinks she should have won it.
Comparing apples to oranges – is one of our contrasting fruit idioms!
Comparing two things that are completely different.
Example: Which should I buy, a car or a new house? It’s kind of like comparing apples and oranges, they are both so different.
Cherry picking
Cherry picking means being highly selective. To only choose the best.
Example: The teacher is cherry-picking the most advanced students for the English speech contest.
Cherry on the cake
When people mention the cherry on the cake what they are meaning is a desirable feature or thing that completes something. For example a delicious dessert after a nice meal, or a nice bonus at the end of the year.
Example: Getting that promotion at work was just the cherry on the cake – I am already very satisfied with my job.
Top banana
When people say they are the top banana, what they mean is they are the number one person, boss, or head.
Example: Although Charlotte is the top banana in her office, she is still very approachable.
Second banana
And when people say that they are the second banana, it means that they are second in charge. For example an assistant manager.
Example: Max is the second banana on the baseball team. Last season, he was captain, though.
Go bananas – an exciting addition to today’s fruit idioms!
When we go bananas, it means we become very excited or angry.
Example: Our dog went bananas when he met other dogs in the park.
A lemon
When you buy a lemon, it means you have a defective product. You can also use it to call someone an idiot!
Example: My car is a complete lemon, it won’t even start!
Pear shaped
When something goes pear-shaped, it means a plan goes wrong, things don’t go as expected. It has a negative meaning.
Example: Michael’s business plan went pear-shaped after he spent too much on advertising.
The apple never falls far from the tree: one of our more cynical fruit idioms!
When people say the apple never falls far from the tree, they mean that important family characteristics are usually inherited. It is used to refer to a relative or another person. Often in a negative way.
Example: Jimmy went to prison, just like his father did years ago. It just goes to show, that the apple never falls far from the tree, does it?
Bear fruit
To bear fruit means to yield or get positive results. It is usually said after someone has worked hard.
Example: Takahiro’s English has improved a lot – his constant review of English phrases is finally bearing fruit.
Speaking of English phrases, if you would like to check out some more idiom examples, here is an article I wrote about beauty and ugliness idioms. I think it is useful for leveling up vocabulary.
Upset the apple cart
The English phrase, upset the apple cart, means to spoil or disrupt a plan or atmosphere. Usually when someone joins a new group.
Example: The new smartphone has really upset the apple cart – it is more advanced than all other models so the other manufacturers are having to suddenly scramble.
Through the grapevine: one of our more gossipy fruit idioms!
The term through the grapevine is used to describe a time when you heard news from gossip or a social situation.
Example: I heard through the grapevine that you are planning to take the TOEFL test. That’s a great way to level up your language skills.
Plummy
We use plummy to describe an accent or a person. It’s regarding people who speak with an upper-class accent, particularly in British English.
Example: Gerald really talks in a plummy way doesn’t he?
Bad apple
We used the saying bad apple when we want to say someone is bad. We talk about their attitude or behavior.
Example: Kate is a bad apple. First, she stole her teacher’s wallet, then she shoplifted.
Peaches and cream
English speakers use peaches and cream when there are no problems and things are going very well.
Example: My new job is just peaches and cream. It is so easy and unstressful!
Life is a bowl of cherries – one of our more positive fruit idioms!
The saying “life is a bowl of cherries” is a very positive one that we can definitely use to level up our language skills. It means that life is good or enjoyable.
Example: I am so happy with everything right now. A new job, a new house. Life is a bowl of cherries!
Dangle a carrot
When we dangle a carrot in front of someone, we are offering them some kind of incentive. It could be a potential bonus at work. It could be extra pocket money for your children.
Example: My manager sometimes likes to dangle a carrot in front of me, in order to make me work faster.
Carrot top
We use the not-so-fruity idiom, carrot top, to refer to someone who has red or ginger-colored hair.
Example: Dennis is a natural carrot top.
Give a fig
The saying give a fig is usually paired with not. It means we do not care about something or someone. It is often in response to something silly or unreasonable.
Example: I do not give a fig about the company song, it is a waste of time learning it!
Cherry red
When something is cherry red, its color is extremely red, just like the color that cherries are!
Example: Maxine bought a cherry red jacket, to match her cherry red lipstick!
Idioms quiz: Do you know all these fruit idioms?
Here we will try a quiz using some of today’s fruit idioms. I hope you can answer all of them correctly! If you are unsure, check back through the article to find the meanings. There will be hints!
- Where did I hear the big news about Sally’s TOEIC result?
- Jake performed well on the IELTS test, because of all his hard work.
- My face color when I stood on stage as a contestant in the English speech contest.
- Now that I have improved my speaking, grammar, vocabulary, and listening skills, it is all…
- What am I, if I am the leader of a group?
By the way, a very comprehensive collection of idioms can be found here, I thought it was a handy site. Until next time, see you!