Fruits are not only tasty and healthy, but they also appear in many English idioms. Idioms are phrases whose meanings are not always clear from the words themselves. Learning them makes your English sound more natural and fun!
In this article, we’ll explore 100 fruit-related idioms, their meanings, and some simple examples. These idioms will help you in school writing, conversations, and even storytelling.
Why Fruits in Idioms?
Fruits are part of daily life, so people have used them for centuries in sayings and comparisons. For example:
- Fruits grow slowly → patience.
- Some are sweet, others sour → different feelings.
- Fruit spoils quickly → missed opportunities.
That’s why fruits became symbols in English expressions.
100 Fruit Idioms with Meanings
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The apple of my eye | Someone very special |
| An apple a day keeps the doctor away | Healthy habits keep you well |
| A bad apple | A troublemaker |
| Upset the apple cart | To ruin plans |
| Apple-polisher | Someone who flatters for favor |
| As American as apple pie | Very traditional or typical |
| Apples and oranges | Two very different things |
| Big Apple | Nickname for New York City |
| To bob for apples | To try to get something with effort |
| One rotten apple spoils the barrel | One bad person can spoil a group |
| Go bananas | Act crazy or silly |
| Top banana | The leader or boss |
| Second banana | Assistant or helper |
| Slip on a banana peel | Embarrass yourself |
| Banana republic | A weak or corrupt country |
| Banana split | Something divided into parts |
| A bunch of bananas | A group acting silly |
| Banana oil | Nonsense |
| Going bananas over something | Getting excited about something |
| Cherry-pick | Choose only the best |
| Life is a bowl of cherries | Life is easy and good |
| Cherry on top | An extra good thing |
| A second bite at the cherry | Another chance |
| Like a cherry blossom | Short but beautiful |
| Pop your cherry | Do something for the first time |
| Another bite of the cherry | A second opportunity |
| Cherry tree story (George Washington) | Honesty |
| A cherry deal | A very good deal |
| Sour grapes | Pretending you don’t care when you fail |
| Grapes of wrath | Strong anger |
| A grapevine | Gossip network |
| Heard it through the grapevine | Heard gossip |
| Sour as vinegar and grapes | Very bitter |
| A bunch of grapes | A group of things |
| Pick of the bunch | The best choice |
| Sour grape attitude | Acting jealous |
| Forbidden fruit | Something tempting but not allowed |
| Bear fruit | To give results |
| The fruits of labor | Rewards of work |
| Fruitless effort | No result |
| Fruit of knowledge | Learning from experience |
| Low-hanging fruit | The easiest option |
| Fruit of someone’s mind | Someone’s idea |
| Fruitcake | A crazy person |
| Fruit of love | A child |
| Ripe old age | Living very long |
| Plum job | A very good job |
| A plum | A reward |
| A plum opportunity | A great chance |
| Peachy keen | Excellent, very good |
| A peach | A very nice person |
| To peach on someone | To tell on someone |
| Peach fuzz | Soft hair on a young face |
| Peach of a deal | A very good deal |
| Go pear-shaped | A plan that fails |
| Pear-shaped body | Round body shape |
| Sweet as a pear | Very kind |
| A partridge in a pear tree | From the Christmas song, means tradition |
| A golden pear | Something rare |
| Lemon law | Law protecting buyers from bad products |
| A lemon | Something useless or broken |
| Lemon face | Sour look |
| Squeeze the lemon | Use something fully |
| Lemonade from lemons | Make the best of problems |
| Like a lemon | Someone tricked easily |
| Melon head | Foolish person |
| Watermelon smile | Big smile |
| Full of melon seeds | Full of ideas |
| Cool as a cucumber | Very calm |
| Cucumber sandwich person | Proper and polite person |
| Greenhouse cucumber | Delicate person |
| Olive branch | Offer peace |
| Extend an olive branch | Try to make peace |
| Olive skin | Dark complexion |
| A figment of imagination | Something not real |
| Not worth a fig | Worthless |
| A fig leaf | Something that hides shame |
| Fig tree dream | Wish for peace |
| Fig jam | Showing off |
| Strawberry fields forever | Place of happiness |
| A strawberry mark | A red birthmark |
| In strawberry season | Best time |
| Picked like strawberries | Taken quickly |
| A strawberry shortcake deal | Something sweet but short |
| Kiwi attitude | Cheerful personality |
| Top kiwi | The best person (New Zealand slang) |
| Kiwi fruit | Fresh and different |
| Mango mood | Cheerful feeling |
| Ripe as a mango | Fully ready |
| Mango season | Best time |
| Pineapple of politeness | Overly polite |
| A pineapple dream | A big wish |
| Pineapple under the sea | Reference to SpongeBob, silly life |
| Coconut head | Foolish person |
| Tough nut to crack | Difficult problem |
| Like two peas in a pod | Very similar |
| Spill the beans | Reveal a secret |
| Full of beans | Full of energy |
| Bean counter | Someone who only thinks of money |
| Hill of beans | Worthless thing |
| Cool beans | Great, awesome |
Conclusion
These 100 fruit idioms show how English uses everyday fruits to describe people, situations, and feelings. By practicing them, you’ll sound more natural and creative in both speaking and writing. Next time you write a story, try adding a fruit idiom—it might just make your writing juicy and fun!