The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (15 page)
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An APPLE a day keeps the doctor away
1866Notes & Queries
3rd Ser. IX. 153
A Pembrokeshire Proverb—‘Eat an apple on going to bed, And you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread.’
1913
Rustic Speech
xiv.
Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An' you'll make the doctor beg his bread (Dev.); or as the more popular version runs: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
1972
Tartan Touch
iv.
He gave me a truly wicked look … ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away!’ he taunted me.
1991
Washington Post
24 Jan. B5
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But wait! Has the apple been treated with Alar?
doctors;
health
The APPLE never falls far from the tree
Apparently of Eastern origin, it is frequently used to assert the continuity of family characteristics. Quot. 1839 implies return to one's original home. Cf. 16th-cent. Ger.
der Apfel fellt nicht gerne weit vom Baume
, the apple does not usually fall far from the tree.
1839
Letter
22 Dec. (1939) II. 243
As men say the apple never falls far from the stem, I shall hope that another year will draw your eyes and steps to this old dear odious haunt of the race.
1939
Body, Boots & Britches
xix.
As a .. farmer remarked, ‘If you breed a pa'tridge, you'll git a pa'tridge.’ Another way of setting that truth forth is ‘An apple never falls far from the tree.’
1981
Women's Journal
Apr. 179
He's a fool, Muffie, as his father was. The apple never falls far from the tree.
1996
Washington Post
14 Jan. C7
Although Forbes has a lively sense of fun (his motorcycling, balloon-riding father, Malcolm, certainly had one, and the apple does not fall far from the tree), his lavishness .. has a civic purpose.
family
;
nature and nurture
;
origins
der Apfel fellt nicht gerne weit vom Baume
, the apple does not usually fall far from the tree.
1839Letter
22 Dec. (1939) II. 243
As men say the apple never falls far from the stem, I shall hope that another year will draw your eyes and steps to this old dear odious haunt of the race.
1939
Body, Boots & Britches
xix.
As a .. farmer remarked, ‘If you breed a pa'tridge, you'll git a pa'tridge.’ Another way of setting that truth forth is ‘An apple never falls far from the tree.’
1981
Women's Journal
Apr. 179
He's a fool, Muffie, as his father was. The apple never falls far from the tree.
1996
Washington Post
14 Jan. C7
Although Forbes has a lively sense of fun (his motorcycling, balloon-riding father, Malcolm, certainly had one, and the apple does not fall far from the tree), his lavishness .. has a civic purpose.
family;
nature and nurture
;
origins
apple
An APPLE-PIE without some cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze
1929Seven Hells
v. 63
Let me advise you to take a bit of cheese with it. They have a good proverb, these folks: ‘Apple pie without the cheese, is like the kiss without a squeeze.’
1989
Courier-Journal
(Louisville, KY) 2 July 4M
There was an old English rhyme popular about 1750 that went: An apple-pie without some cheese Is like a kiss without a squeeze.
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