apple (redirected from upsetting the apple cart)

*American as apple pie

Cliché quintessential American. (*Also: as ~.) A small house with a white picket fence is supposed to be as American as apple pie.

See also: American, pie

*in apple-pie order

Fig. in very good order; very well organized. (*Typically: be ~; get something ~; put something ~.) Please put everything in apple-pie order before you leave. I always put my desk in apple-pie order every evening. I've put my entire life into apple-pie order.

See also: order

*sure as God made little green apples and *sure as eggs is eggs; *sure as fate; *sure as I'm stand-ing here; *sure as you live

Rur. absolutely certain. (*Also: as ~.) I'm as sure as God made little green apples that he's the one. I'm right, as sure as you live!

See also: god, green, little, made, sure

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Prov. Apples are so nutritious that if you eat an apple every day, you will not ever need to go to a doctor. Remember to take an apple in your lunch today. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Grandma always fed us lots of apples when we visited her. She believed that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

See also: away, day, doctor, keep

apple of (someone's eye)

Fig. someone's favorite person or thing; a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Tom is the apple of Mary's eye. She thinks he's the greatest. John's new car is the apple of his eye.

apple-polisher

Fig. a flatterer. Doesn't that wimpy apple-polisher know how stupid he looks? Everybody at my office seems to be an apple-polisher but me.

apples and oranges

Fig. two entities that are not similar. (Used especially in reference to comparisons of unlike things.) You can't talk about Fred and Ted in the same breath! They're like apples and oranges. Talking about her current book and her previous bestseller is like comparing apples and oranges.

See also: and, orange

Big Apple

New York City. We spent the weekend in the Big Apple.

See also: big

How bout them apples? and How do you like them apples?

Rur. What do you think of that? (Often used to express admiration, as in the first example; bout is short for about.) Tom: I got first prize! Mary: Well! How bout them apples? Joe got a job as a newspaper reporter. How do you like them apples?

See also: bout, how, them

motherhood and apple pie

Fig. an often parodied sentiment expressed about allegedly quintessential elements of American home life. Fred is so old-fashioned. Everything about old times is good to him. He's all motherhood and apple pie.

See also: and, pie

rotten apple

a single bad person or thing. There always is a rotten apple to spoil it for the rest of us. Tom sure has turned out to be the rotten apple.

See also: rotten

rotten apple spoils the barrel

Prov. A bad person influences everyone he or she comes into contact with, making them bad too. Helen is the rotten apple that spoils the barrel in our office. Everyone sees her come in late to work and take long coffee breaks, and they think, "Why can't I do the same?"

See also: barrel, rotten, spoil

upset the apple cart

Fig. to mess up or ruin something. Tom really upset the apple cart by telling Mary the truth about Jane. I always knew he'd tell secrets and upset the apple cart.

See also: cart, upset

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a bad/rotten apple

one bad person in a group of people who are good You'll find the occasional rotten apple in every organization.

See also: bad

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  (old-fashioned)

something that you say which means eating an apple every day will keep you healthy If 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away,' then why have I got this terrible cold?

See also: away, day, doctor, keep

apples and oranges  (American)

if two people or things are apples and oranges, they are completely different You can't compare inner city schools and schools in the suburbs - they're apples and oranges.

See also: and, orange

be as American as apple pie

to be typically American Country and western music is as American as apple pie.

See also: American, pie

be in apple-pie order

to be very tidy and in good order Wendy kept all her belongings in apple-pie order.

See also: order

How do you like them apples! 

1. (American & Australian informal) something that you say when you want someone to know how clever or successful you are, especially when you have done something better than they have You know that girl we were talking to last night - with the long blond hair? Well, I got her number. How do you like them apples!

2. (American & Australian informal) something that you say to show you are surprised or disappointed by something that has happened So Marilyn has moved to Florida? Well, how do you like them apples!

See also: how, like, them

She'll be apples.  (Australian informal) also She's apples. (Australian informal)

something that you say in order to tell someone that they do not need to worry and that everything will happen as it should 'What if it rains for the wedding?' 'Don't worry, she'll be apples.'

See How do you like them apples!

the apple of somebody's eye

the person who someone loves most and is very proud of His youngest son was the apple of his eye.

See also: eye

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as American as apple pie

having qualities that are thought to be typical of the US or of the people of the US Blue jeans are as American as apple pie.

See also: American, pie

compare apples and oranges

to examine the similarities of things that are completely different Comparing the average wages of workers and managers is like trying to compare apples and oranges.

Usage notes: usually used to explain that two things cannot be compared

See also: and, compare, orange

the apple of your eye

the person someone likes most or is most proud of Harry was his first child and the apple of his eye.

See also: eye