As sure as God made little green apples

Shady Abuyusuf

Thu, 21 Nov 2024

467

Shady: Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going to learn some interesting idioms that use the word "apple." Let's start with a few from Cockney rhyming slang.

Student 1: What's Cockney rhyming slang, Shady?

Shady: Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang originating from the East End of London. It involves replacing a common word with a phrase of two or more words, the last of which rhymes with the original word. Sometimes, they even shorten the phrase, so it doesn't rhyme directly anymore. Let's take a look at our first idiom.

Student 2: Sounds fun! What's the first one?

Shady: The first idiom is "apples," which is short for "apples and pears," and it means "stairs." For example, you might hear someone say, "I'm going up the apples to bed." In this case, "apples" means "stairs."

Student 3: That's cool! What's next?

Shady: The next one is also from rhyming slang. "Apples" here is short for "apples and spice," which rhymes with "nice." So if someone says, "Everything's apples," they mean everything is good or fine.

Student 4: I've never heard these before. What about the more... um... adult ones?

Shady: Right, so there are a couple of idioms that are a bit more vulgar. "Apples" can also refer to male testicles. You might hear this in a more informal or crude context. Similarly, it can refer to female breasts. It's important to be aware of these meanings, but use them carefully as they can be considered rude or offensive.

Student 5: Got it. What about the phrase "As sure as God made little green apples"?

Shady: Good question! This phrase means something is absolutely certain or definite. For example, "As sure as God made little green apples, he's going to be late again." It emphasises certainty, much like saying "as sure as the sun rises."

Student 6: That's a useful one! Any others?

Shady: Yes, there's one more: "Polish an apple for the teacher." This idiom means to try to gain favour with someone, usually through flattery or doing small favours. For instance, "He's always polishing an apple for the boss to get on her good side."

Student 7: Thanks, Shady! These are really interesting.

Shady: You're welcome! Remember, idioms can add a lot of colour to your language, but always be aware of your audience and the context in which you're using them. Now, let's practice using these in sentences.