Eight french expressions around the word apple

There are many phrases in French that use the word apple, just as in English, but drawing connections between them would be like comparing apples to oranges. Apples, which have always been

widely available in France, are perhaps the most regularly-used fruit in French phrases. In fact, the apple was even the symbol of a presidential candidate’s campaign. In the run-up to the

1995 election, soon-to-be president Jacques Chirac declared himself to be a “_mangeur de pommes_”, an eater of apples, and the apple became inextricably associated with his campaign. Below,

we share eight French expressions around the word apple. TOMBER DANS LES POMMES This phrase, translated as ‘falling in the apples’, means to faint. It is very likely that the phrase is not

actually linked to apples at all. It probably stems from the old French expression _tomber dans les pâmes_, which means to faint due to a strong emotion. Over time, _pâmes_ slowly evolved

into pommes. Another possible, although unlikely, explanation traces the origins of the phrase to the theatre. French audiences would throw _pommes cuites _(cooked apples) in response to a

poor performance, as opposed to rotten tomatoes, which were supposedly used in England (although that is likely a myth). If an actor was knocked out by an apple, then ‘they would have fallen

in the apples’, although it seems unlikely a cooked apple would knock someone out. Perhaps some fresh ones were thrown into the mix as well? HAUT COMME TROIS POMMES _Haut comme trois

pommes_, translated as high as three apples, is used to describe a small child, usually in reference to other children their age. In France, apples were often used as a unit of measurement

since they were very common, which is where the phrase is thought to have originated. In the US, an equivalent expression would be ‘knee-high to a grasshopper’. POMME DE LA DISCORDE This

expression is most often translated as ‘a bone of contention’/’having a bone to pick with someone’, but a literal translation is an apple of discord. It means a topic of discussion or debate

that is likely to cause arguments. The expression comes from a story in Greek mythology. The goddess Eris, offended at not being invited to a wedding, threw a golden apple inscribed with

the message “For the most beautiful”. Hera, Aphrodite and Athena all argued over who was the most beautiful, forcing the mortal Paris to decide and eventually leading to the Trojan War. The

expression is mostly used by saying someone threw the apple of discord: “_il a jeté la pomme de la discorde_”. READ MORE: UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUOIQUE AND QUOI QUE IN FRENCH

ÊTRE BONNE POMME In this expression, _bonne_ means ripe rather than good. Identical to the expression _être bonne poire _(being a ripe pear), which is more commonly used than its apple

equivalent, someone who is a ripe apple is someone who is too naïve and easily taken advantage of. In use since the 19th century, a ripe apple is therefore someone who falls for tricks like

ripe apples fall from trees. POMME DE TERRE This is the name given to potatoes in French. They are also called _patates_, although this tends to be used more regionally or colloquially. It

is not entirely clear why potatoes are called ‘apple of the earth’ in French, although it is also the same in Dutch with “_aardappel_”. The first mention of _pomme de terre_ in literature is

attributed to Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau, a botanist who used the term in 1762. AUX POMMES When something is described as being _aux pommes_ (literally, ‘to apples’), it means that it

is of very high quality, or something that has been treated with a lot of care and attention. Its origins are likely found in Parisian slang, although it is not exactly clear where it comes

from. Similar to _être bonne pomme_, it also has an equivalent that is more commonly used: _aux petits oignons_, or “to small onions”, which means something that is done with great care. TWO

QUEBECOIS POMME EXPRESSIONS Whilst you might hear these two phrases in the French language, you would not hear them in France because they are Quebecois expressions only used in Canada. A

_pomme de route_, or a road apple, refers to horse droppings. When they freeze, children use a _pomme de route_ as a hockey puck. The second expression with Quebecois origins is _chanter la

pomme_, translated as “singing the apple” to someone. It means to flirt with someone, trying to seduce them through flattery. The phrase has two likely origins. The first is a religious one,

referring to the apple that Eve ate in the Garden of Eden, that she was tempted into by a snake. The apple therefore seduced Eve by singing to her or enticing her. The second possible

explanation is linked to the word _paume_, which means palm. During a dance, two possible suitors would hold hands and pressing your palm into the other person’s was a subtle way of showing

interest, therefore making their palms sing. RELATED ARTICLES ‘POUR DES PRUNES’: OUR FRENCH EXPRESSION OF THE WEEK WIDEN YOUR VOCABULARY WITH 10 ALTERNATIVES TO COMMON FRENCH PHRASES