fruit
(redirected from a fruit)a tree is known by its fruit(, a man by his deeds)
A person's or group's character or worth is determined by others based on their actions or the results thereof. It's all well and good for these companies to claim that they're going to work towards protecting the environment, but a tree is known by its fruit. A: "He claimed he would do anything he could to help me, but he always came up with some excuse or another whenever I actually reached out for help." B: "Well, I guess you know what kind of a person he really is. A tree is known by its fruit, a man by his deeds."
bag of fruit
A suit. The phrase originated as rhyming slang. Primarily heard in Australia. You forgot to bring your bag of fruit to the hotel? What are you gong to wear to the wedding?
bear fruit
1. Literally, to produce fruit, as of certain trees and plants. Now that the tree in our back yard is bearing fruit, the kids love picking apples from it.
2. By extension, to yield desired results. Donna is convinced that this plan will bear fruit if we just keep working on it, but it's been a year—the rest of us are officially skeptical.
forbidden fruit
Something that one desires but cannot or should not have. A reference to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve and the fruit that God forbade them to eat in the Garden of Eden. Since forbidden fruit is the sweetest, I couldn't stop myself from taking a piece of the cake my mom had specifically made for work.
forbidden fruit is the sweetest
People are drawn to things that they are forbidden from doing or having. A: "I know you're intrigued by Derek, but he's married!" B: "But forbidden fruit is the sweetest!" Since forbidden fruit is the sweetest, I couldn't stop myself from taking a piece of the cake my mom had specifically made for work.
fruit
1. slang Someone who is odd or wacky. What conspiracy theory is that old fruit blathering on about now?
2. slang Someone who can be easily deceived or swindled. That guy's definitely a fruit—you start talking to him, and I'll pick his pocket.
3. offensive slang A derogatory term for a male who is homosexual or otherwise non-heterosexual or considered effeminate.
fruit loop
slang Someone prone to behaving in a clumsy, cloddish manner. Of course he broke the vase—that guy is such a fruit loop.
fruit of (one's) loins
One's child or children; one's immediate or future descendant(s). As the baby-boomer generation ages, many are increasingly relying on the fruit of their loins for financial and medical support. Little could she know that, nearly two centuries later, the fruit of her loins would be in nearly every continent on the planet.
fruit of the poisonous tree
In US law, any secondary legal evidence that has been obtained as the result of unconstitutional or illegal means or information gathered in such a way. Such evidence, both the primary source and the secondary result, are generally inadmissible in court. The police were found to have obtained the knowledge of the illicit firearms' location from a search they conducted without a warrant, and thus this fruit of the poisonous tree was ultimately not admitted during the prosecution.
fruit of the union
1. A child or children resulting from the union between two people, such as a marriage or domestic union. Also written as "fruit of one's union." Why wouldn't you want to have children? They're the normal fruit of the union of marriage! When we started the divorce proceedings, the largest question was who would retain custody over the fruit of our union.
2. The offspring resulting from a sexual union between two mates. A "labradoodle," one of the cutest but silliest-named crossbreeds around, is the fruit of the union between a Labrador Retriever and a poodle.
3. The outcome, result, or product of an interaction or union between two or more bodies, elements, or forces. Water is merely the fruit of the union of two hydrogen atoms and a single oxygen atom. The treaty was ultimately the fruit of the union of two brilliant academics on either side of the war, who worked for months with each side's leaders to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
fruit salad
rude slang A disparaging term for a homosexual man (as is "fruit").
fruitcake
1. A spice cake containing fruit and nuts. Often used as a humorous reference because it is often deemed unappetizing. Just give me a minute to cut up the fruitcake. Need a doorstop? Try this fruitcake!
2. slang Someone who is odd or wacky. What conspiracy theory is that old fruitcake blathering on about now?
3. offensive slang A derogatory term for a male who is homosexual or otherwise non-heterosexual or considered effeminate.
he that would eat the fruit must climb the tree
One must work for what one wants. You can't rely on sheer intelligence in order to get good grades—he that would eat the fruit must climb the tree.
hen fruit
An egg laid by a hen. Time to go out to the chicken coop and get today's hen fruit. I'm not a big fan of hen fruit—is there anything else I can eat for breakfast?
low-hanging fruit
1. That which is especially easy to obtain or achieve. Often implies something that is perhaps not as satisfying as that which takes more effort or skill to obtain or do. Jokes about the president's peculiar way speaking are pretty low-hanging fruit, if you ask me. It was low-hanging fruit, but the first-round victory is good to get under our belt all the same.
2. Someone who is very easy to persuade, swindle, or sell to. You've got to learn how to spot people who've just gotten paid—they're eager to spend their wages, so they're always low-hanging fruit.
See also: fruit
stolen fruit is (the) sweetest
That which is illicit or illegal is all the more enticing simply by being illicit or illegal. Some people end up cheating on their spouses and partners not out of some deep affection for the other person, but because stolen fruit is sweetest. Why slave away all day to buy nice things with our hard-earned money when there are ways to get them for free? Stolen fruit is the sweetest, after all.
the bitter fruits
The negative consequences of something. The economy is in shambles, and unemployment and underemployment are the bitter fruits.
the fruit of (one's) labors
The outcome or rewards of one's work or efforts. You worked hard this semester, and straight A's are the fruit of your labors. Please, have some fresh strawberries—they're the fruit of my labors in the garden.
the fruit(s) of (something)
The desired product(s) or result(s) of an activity, effort, or situation. The fruit of the long and bitter negotiations has been a historic peace treaty that will see the end of a 50-year war. Behold, the fruits of our labor: the most advanced artificial intelligence ever created!
See also: of
the fruits of (one's) labor
The outcome or rewards of one's work or efforts. You worked hard this semester, and straight A's are the fruits of your labor. Please, have some fresh strawberries—they're the fruits of my labor in the garden.
the weed of crime bears bitter fruit
Illegal, immoral, or illicit schemes will only every yield bad outcomes. While sentencing the three CEOs following their conviction, the judge said he wanted to make it clear to the whole country that the weed of crime bears bitter fruits.
bear fruit
1. Lit. [for a plant or tree] to yield fruit. Our apple tree didn't bear fruit this year.
2. Fig. to yield results. I hope your new plan bears fruit. We've had many good ideas, but none of them has borne fruit.
forbidden fruit
Fig. someone or something that one finds attractive or desirable partly because having the person or thing is immoral or illegal. (Biblical; from the apple in the Garden of Eden that was forbidden to Adam by God.) Jim flirts with his sister-in-law only because she's forbidden fruit. The boy watches that program only when his parents are out. It's forbidden fruit.
fruits of one's labor(s)
Fig. the results of one's work. We displayed the fruits of our labor at the county fair. What have you accomplished? Where is the fruit of your labors?
low-hanging fruit
Fig. the easiest person(s) to sell something to, to convince of something, or to fool. (From the much older easy pickings.) People who always want to be the first to buy something, they're low-hanging fruit for this product. Don't be satisfied with the low-hanging fruit. Go after the hard-sell types.
See also: fruit
stolen fruit is sweetest
and stolen pleasures are sweetestProv. People often enjoy illicit things just because they are illicit. To judge from the number of his extramarital affairs, John must believe that stolen pleasures are sweetest.
tree is known by its fruit
Prov. People judge your character by what you do. (Biblical.) The politician may say she believes in more spending on child care, but the tree is known by its fruit; she hasn't voted for a single measure that would help.
bear fruit
Yield results, have a favorable outcome, as in This new idea of his is bound to bear fruit. This metaphoric term, first recorded in 1879, transfers the production of fruit by a tree or plant to other kinds of useful yield.
forbidden fruit
Unlawful pleasure or enjoyment; illicit love. For example, After Mary moved in with John, Tom began courting her-forbidden fruit is sweet, I guess , or Smoking behind the woodshed, that's a case of forbidden fruit. This expression alludes to Adam and Eve's violation of God's commandment not to touch fruit from the tree of knowledge, which resulted in their expulsion from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6). In the form forbidden fruit is sweet it appeared in numerous early English proverb collections.
bear fruit
FORMALCOMMON If an action bears fruit, it produces good results. The strategy of concentrating the company's efforts on a smaller range of businesses is now beginning to bear fruit. It remains to be seen whether the economic reforms will bear fruit.
forbidden fruit
If you call something forbidden fruit, you mean that you want it very much but are not allowed to have it. Knowing that from now on you can't drink alcohol or have sugar in your tea can make you want those forbidden fruits even more. `What kept Charlie and I going for 27 years,' she explains, `was the thrill of the illicit, the sense of forbidden fruit.' Note: This expression refers to the story in the Bible in which Eve tempts Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, which God had forbidden them to touch.
low-hanging fruit
People use low-hanging fruit to refer to the things that are the easiest to achieve or get. I think there's a lot of low-hanging fruit that we can go after in terms of reducing our costs.
See also: fruit
forbidden fruit
a thing that is desired all the more because it is not allowed.The original forbidden fruit was that forbidden to Adam in the Garden of Eden: ‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it’ (Genesis 2:17).
bear fruit
have good results.This expression is a biblical metaphor, found, for example, in Matthew 13:23: ‘But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty’.
bear ˈfruit
have the desired result; be successful: The tireless efforts of campaigners have finally borne fruit and the prisoners are due to be released tomorrow.forˌbidden ˈfruit
something that you are not allowed to have, do, etc. and for this reason is more attractive: He felt very attracted to his best friend’s wife, but admitted that it was partly because she was forbidden fruit.This expression refers to the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible, in which Eve ate an apple when she wasn’t allowed to.the fruit(s) of something
the good results of an activity or a situation: Enjoy the fruits of your labours (= the rewards for your hard work). ♢ The book is the fruit of years of research.fruit
1. n. a strange person. (Now overwhelmed by sense 2) Ted is such a fruit.
2. and fruiter n. a homosexual male. (Usually rude and derogatory.) Bob thinks that you-know-who is a fruit.
fruitcake
1. n. a silly-acting person. (Also a term of address.) You can be such a silly fruitcake sometimes.
2. n. a male homosexual. (Rude and derogatory. An elaboration of fruit.) We went into this bar, but it was filled with fruitcakes, so we left.
3. and fruit loop n. a foolish oaf. (Someone who is as nutty as a fruitcake. Fruit loop is borrowed from the cereal of the same [protected trade] name.) What a fruitcake! Doesn’t even know where his head is at. Out of the way, fruit loop.
fruit loop
verbSee fruitcake
hen fruit
n. (chicken) eggs. There’s nothing like hen fruit and bacon.
forbidden fruit
An unlawful pleasure, usually one that is stolen; especially, illicit love. The expression alludes to the story of Eve in the Book of Genesis (2:17–3:6), in which she caused herself and Adam to be expelled from the Garden of Eden because she ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge. “Forbidden fruit is sweet” subsequently became a proverb, quoted in numerous early English sources, and was applied to any illicit pleasure.
the weed of crime bears bitter fruit
No good will come from criminal schemes. The Shadow was a very popular radio detective series that began in the early 1930s. Its hero, playboy Lamont Cranston, had “the power to cloud men's minds,” a form of hypnosis by which he appeared off to the side of where people thought he stood (contrary to popular belief, the Shadow did not make himself invisible). After the credits at the end of every episode, the Shadow intoned, “The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay! The Shadow knows,” and then utter a sardonic laugh. Another famous Shadow-ism was “Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of men?—The Shadow knows!”