Fruity Expressions: When Life Is Peachy!
Is your life peachy right now? Or are things going pear-shaped? Have you met someone who is sour grapes? Hopefully not! Here are some fruity expressions that will enrich your language and can often aptly describe situations we find ourselves in.
First up, peachy. This informal adjective means that things are good or going well. We might use it to describe a situation or life in general. As an example, someone might say that “life has been peachy during the summer holiday.”
A quick note, though, is that this term can also be used to show irony. A person might use it ironically when things are very obviously not going well. Context is key.
To go pear-shaped. We say things are going pear-shaped when something is not going according to plan or has gone totally wrong. Think of a project that has gone over the deadline and ends up needing several deadline extensions. It has gone pear-shaped.
The apple of your eye. Someone you love or cherish more than anyone else. For example, “Anastasia is the apple of Caleb’s eye.” This idiomatic expression dates back in written form in Olde English over a thousand years to the time of Alfred the Great. But it’s still commonly used today.
Go bananas. Crazy, wild or excited. Someone might go bananas if they hear super exciting news, such as unexpectedly coming into a large sum of money.
Sour grapes. While some grapes are naturally sour, most are juicy and sweet when they are ripe. Many of us don’t enjoy eating sour grapes. When it comes to people, a person who is negative or bitter about something that they cannot get, is described as being like sour grapes. This is especially true when it’s something they secretly really wanted and someone else got it instead.
Instead of being happy for their friend, they will make a negative comment about the good fortune of that person and point out the supposedly negative aspects of the thing or situation they actually wanted for themselves. An example sentence might look like this, “Clarissa claimed she didn’t want the promotion anyway as it would mean too much overtime, but it was just sour grapes because it went to someone else.”
A second bite at the cherry. This is a great idiom to describe a second chance to do something that you really want to do again. Here is an example: "Missing that open goal was initially devastating, but the striker got a second bite at the cherry five minutes later and scored.”
Upset the apple cart. To ruin a plan or change the status quo. How can we use this one? Well, here is a workplace example that will resonate with some of us. "Everything was fine until the new team leader arrived and upset the apple cart by lengthening everyone's shifts."
Idiomatic language enhances language and elevates it to a native-level. Why not try using one of the fruity expressions this week?
Discussion
Are any of the idioms similar in your first language?
Which expression would you like to start using?
Describe a situation where someone was sour grapes about something they wanted?
Talk about a time in your life that was particularity peachy?
Has someone ever upset the apple cart in your family or at work? What happened?
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