Ever noticed how much fruit sneaks its way into English? We don’t just eat apples and bananas — we talk like them.
From going bananas when the Wi-Fi drops to finding a plum job that pays for your next holiday, Brits have turned our five-a-day into a full-blown linguistic buffet.
Here are ten delicious English expressions that prove our language is completely bananas.
🍒 10 Fruity Phrases to Pear-Up Your Vocabulary
Go bananas
Become very angry or excited.
My flatmate will go bananas if I use his last tea bag.
Apple of someone’s eye
The person someone loves or cherishes most.
My nan called her dog the apple of her eye.
Go pear-shaped
When a plan goes wrong.
The surprise party went pear-shaped.
Sour grapes
Pretending to dislike something you actually want.
New kit looks awful? Sour grapes, mate.
Not give a fig
Not care at all.
If you don’t give a fig about weather, you’ll love Britain.
A plum job
A highly desirable, well-paid job.
Being a chocolate taster is a plum job.
Comparing apples and oranges
Comparing two things that are too different.
Luxury coach vs budget flight? Apples and oranges.
The cherry on the cake
The final detail that makes something perfect.
The free bottle was the cherry on the cake.
A bad (rotten) apple
One person who causes trouble.
Don’t let one bad apple spoil the barrel.
A bite at the cherry
An opportunity to achieve something.
I finally got a bite at the cherry and secured an audition.
Next time you’re chatting with a Brit, you’ll be able to tell them their granddaughter is the apple of your eye without sounding bananas.