Fruit-filled phrases

An apple is an apple, but it can also be an object of adoration when it's 'the apple of someone's eye.' How many of these 'fruitful' expressions can you guess?

1. A downy fruit that signifies 'fine and dandy.'

2. In its cooked and semiliquefied state, it means 'nonsense.'

3. To be the center of attention is to be in this 'fruit filled' light.

4. This fruit's twining branches are another term for 'gossip communicator.'

5. A (dark purple) prize; a coveted assignment or j.

6. A troublesome car. There oughta be a law! And, sure enough, there is.

7. A sound of disapproval or contempt made with the tongue and lips.

ANSWERS: (1) peachy; (2) applesauce; (3) lime. In the early 1800s, calcium (lime) was burned to make a bright light used in theaters - limelight; (4) grape, as in 'I heard through the grapevine....' (5) plum. (6) lemon. So-called 'lemon laws' may protect consumers in such cases. (7) raspberry.

SOURCES: The World Book Dictionary; Webster's Ninth New Dictionary; Panati's Browser's Book of Beginnings; Dictionary of Word Origins by Jordan Almond.