Where did the term bad apples come from?
Origins. The bad apples metaphor originates from the proverb "A rotten apple quickly infects its neighbor", first recorded as used in English in 1340.
What does the phrase bad apple mean?
Bad apple (or rotten apple) is indeed defined as “someone who creates problems or causes trouble for others; specifically : a member of a group whose behavior reflects poorly on or negatively affects or influences the remainder of the group.”
Why do they say one bad apple spoils the bunch?
That popular phrase is used to refer to a situation in which one person's negative demeanor or bad behavior can affect a whole group of people, influencing them to have a similar negative attitude or to engage in the same bad behavior.
Is bad apple an idiom?
Bad apple is an idiom that is taken from a proverb. We will examine the meaning of the idiom bad apple, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences. A bad apple is a criminal, a corrupt person, or a malcontent.
What is another word for bad apple?
What is another word for bad apple?rotten appleagitatorpartisananarchisthereticdogmatistmoverprovokerdissenterhothead57 more rows
Why should you not put apples in the fridge?
Apples, Pears: You can refrigerate these fruits, but you don't need to. The cold air inside the refrigerator tends to break down their crisp texture. Leave them out on the counter. But if you prefer your fruit cold, go ahead and refrigerate.
What is the moral of the story the rotten apple?
Moral: One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. Stay away from bad company and never let them influence you.
Is it true that one bad apple can spoil the barrel?
one bad apple spoils the (whole) barrel proverb It only takes one person, thing, element, etc., to ruin the entire group, situation, project, etc. Refers to the fact that a rotting apple can cause other apples in close proximity to begin to rot as well.
What does apple mean in slang?
APPLE. Ask, Pause, Pick, Listen, Evaluate.
How do you use bad apples in a sentence?
We should not condemn the whole system just because of one bad apple. One troublesome child can be like the bad apple infecting others. Like the rest of us, a doctor can make a mistake and there will be the occasional bad apple in the barrel. If there is one bad apple in a barrel, we all know what happens.
What is a bad apple at work?
Every company has at least one bad apple. These are the people who don't respect the organization or their coworkers, are negative, don't carry their own weight, or sabotage the work of others. A bad apple is like a bad virus—their attitude can affect morale, trust, and productivity.
What does Big apple mean in slang?
New York CityThe “Big Apple” as a nickname for New York City really takes hold in the 1920s jazz era. The term, already in popular meaning as betting on a sure thing, makes its way to racetracks in the early 1920s. John J.
What does it mean when an apple spoils the barrel?
The saying has scientific basis: as well as mold being able to spread from one rotten fruit to others, ripening apples produce ethylene gas, which triggers aging and increases ethylene production in other, nearby apples.
What is the meaning of the word "bad apples"?
The bad apples metaphor originated as a warning of the corrupting influence of one corrupt or sinful person on a group: that "one bad apple can spoil the barrel".
Why is it so hard to remove bad apples from police?
Harry Litman, a US attorney who has worked with police, has said that it is difficult for police departments and other officers to remove "bad apple" officers due to systematic practices protecting them, giving as an example that Derek Chauvin had 17 complaints on his record before killing George Floyd.
Why did Obama use the bad apple metaphor?
Barack Obama used the bad apple metaphor in a 2013 speech to defend his Healthcare law when thousands of Americans were losing their health insurance. He claimed that it was the fault of "bad apple" insurance companies rather than his Healthcare law.
Where did the word "bad apples" come from?
Origins. The bad apples metaphor originates from the proverb, "A rotten apple quickly infects its neighbor", first recorded as used in English in 1340. The proverb was rephrased by Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard's Almanack in 1736, stating "the rotten apple spoils his companion.". The phrase was popularized by sermons during the 19th century, ...
Who condemned the soldiers who participated in war crimes at Abu Ghraib?
When the US Army 's war crimes at Abu Ghraib surfaced, George W. Bush condemned the soldiers who participated in war crimes at the prison but used the bad apples metaphor to defend the rest of the US Army.
Who wrote "Our enemies in blue"?
Anarchist author Kristian Williams claimed in his book, Our Enemies in Blue: Police and Power in America, that the bad apples argument is a way for police departments to displace blame onto a few officers to avoid criticism and actually changing as a whole.
How many beats per minute is the instrumental theme?
The instrumental theme was originally designed to be played during the third stage of the game, as chiptune on the Japanese NEC PC-9800 computer platform, at 161 beats per minute using a frequency modulation synthesis chip.
Who sings the bad apple?
Pop song. "Bad Apple!!". In 2007, a longer cover version featuring the Japanese singer Nomico was released in the album Lovelight by the artists group Alstroemeria Records, lead by Masayoshi Minoshima [ jp]. It shared little similarity with the original soundtrack, borrowing only a little of melody samples, but nonetheless it was notable as being ...
When did the shadow art video come out?
Between October 2008 and October 2009, a collaborative group led by Anira (あにら) created a shadow-art (black and white) animation video based on the storyboard, which was released on Nico Nico on 27 October 2009.
When did Kris Kennaway make Apple //e?
In March 2021, Kris Kennaway created a full-length version for the Apple //e by streaming 95MB of data directly from a CFFA3000 card.
Can shadow puppet play back full motion?
The shadow puppet video has been used in the demoscene as the basis of many ports for older computer platforms, presumed to be incapable of playing back full motion video .
What happened to the phrase "one bad apple became a few bad apples"?
One bad apple became a few bad apples as the phrase slowly became a defense for a few rogue cops. Reports show officials used the flipped proverb after the Rodney King beating in 1991, the 2014 fatal shooting of Michael Brown , after the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and now in the midst of protests over the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
What does "a rotten apple quickly infects its neighbor" mean?
It's a proverb whose meaning has changed 180 degrees from its origins, according to Ben Zimmer, a linguist and language columnist for The Wall Street Journal. "The original phrase being, 'A rotten apple quickly infects its neighbor,'" Zimmer told ABC News. "Historically, there is a version of this proverb going way back;
What song did the Osmonds sing in the 1970s?
An important influence in establishing a new meaning came in the 1970s, when the Osmonds released their hit song "One Bad Apple (Don't Spoil the Whole Bunch, Girl)," reversing the emphasis entirely.
Do apples spoil the other apples?
The proverb also mirrored the actual science of a rotting apple. Apples, and other fruits, emit a ripening agent, and when placed together, they do indeed spoil the others.
Why do police say "I can't breathe"?
Several officials have used this phrase to defend police organizations as videos emerge of violent misconduct by officers during protests and the now-familiar release of footage showing fatal arrests of black men who pleaded, "I can't breathe."
Who said "one bad apple spoils the barrel"?
As time passed, other versions of the idiom formed. "The rotten apple spoils his companion" appears in published work by Benjamin Franklin in 1736. That one eventually morphed to, "One bad apple spoils the barrel," with the ending varying to baskets or bins. But by the end of the 19th century, the proverb seemed to disappear almost entirely, and when it returned in the 20th century, its meaning shifted in a significant way.
Do apples come in baskets?
Barrels, baskets and bins were no longer closely associated with apples. Most people were purchasing their apples individually, inspecting each one at the market. Shoppers rely on grocery stores to select fresh apples they can choose from and rotten apples are seldom, if ever, included in the display.
What does "a bad apple spoils the bin" mean?
"A bad apple spoils the bin," one journalist wrote in 1898 of the Dreyfus Affair; if one officer is capable of forgery then why wouldn't others be as well?
What does "rolling stone gathers no moss" mean?
Take "A rolling stone gathers no moss." It clearly suggests some traditional wisdom about travel, but what? The Scots think it means "moving around keeps you fresh and free." The English use it to mean "moving around keeps you poor and rootless" — and Americans use it both ways and some others. Take it one way or the other, it can't help being wise.
When did the Osmond Brothers reverse the proverb?
John S. Stewart/AP Photo. The crucial historical flipping point for the proverb may have been in 1970 when The Osmond Brothers reversed its meaning in their first No. 1 hit, "One Bad Apple (Don't Spoil the Whole Bunch, Girl).".
What does "moving around keeps you fresh and free" mean?
The Scots think it means "moving around keeps you fresh and free.". The English use it to mean "moving around keeps you poor and rootless" — and Americans use it both ways and some others. Take it one way or the other, it can't help being wise.
Can a proverb lie?
That's how they can come to signify opposite things without losing a whit of their wisdom in the process. As the French put it: Proverbe ne peut mentir, "A proverb can't lie.".
Do black crows mean the whole flock is black?
We could answer those imputations by denying the logic of induction: "Seeing one or two black crows doesn't mean the whole flock is black."
Is there a bad apple in every bunch?
Bad Apple Proverbs: There's One In Every Bunch The phrase "a few bad apples" is much more popular now than it was decades ago . Linguist Geoff Nunberg says the phrase may owe its popularity to a change in meaning — and The Osmond Brothers.
What does the saying "a bad apple spoils the others" mean?
In 19th century America, it was a staple of Sunday morning sermons: As one bad apple spoils the others, so you must show no quarter to sin or sinners. Or it could suggest that finding one malefactor in a group should make you suspicious of everybody else. A bad apple spoils the bin, one journalist wrote in 1898 of the Dreyfus Affair; if one officer is capable of forgery then why wouldn't others be as well?
What does "a bad apple spoils the bin" mean?
"A bad apple spoils the bin," one journalist wrote in 1898 of the Dreyfus Affair; if one officer is capable of forgery then why wouldn't others be as well?
What does "rolling stone gathers no moss" mean?
Take "A rolling stone gathers no moss." It clearly suggests some traditional wisdom about travel, but what? The Scots think it means "moving around keeps you fresh and free." The English use it to mean "moving around keeps you poor and rootless" — and Americans use it both ways and some others. Take it one way or the other, it can't help being wise.
What does "there are always going to be a few bad apples" mean?
Then there's the version that goes, there are always going to be a few bad apples. That's a counsel of moral realism : as in, there's evil in the world; get over it. It's not a sentiment you would have heard in a 19th century sermon, much less from a grocer you were complaining to about the wormy fruit he'd sold you the week before. Well, Mrs. Gold, we all have to expect to find a few rotten apples, don't we?
Can a proverb lie?
They're there to replace reflection with packaged verities. That's how they can come to signify opposite things without losing a whit of their wisdom in the process. As the French put it: Proverb ne peut mentir, a proverb can't lie. But of course that's a proverb too.
When did the Osmond Brothers reverse the proverb?
The crucial historical flipping point for the proverb may well have been in 1970 when The Osmond Brothers reversed its meaning in their first number one hit, "One Bad Apple Don't Spoil the Whole Bunch." At any rate, that seems to be how a lot of people think the proverb goes nowadays, whether or not it makes agronomic sense.
Is the proverb "a good apple tree has the most sticks under it" obsolete?
So you might figure that the proverb would have become obsolete along with others from the forgotten agrarian past, like it's a good apple tree that has the most sticks under it. Instead, it turns out to be much more frequent than it was a few generations ago.
Overview
Origins
The bad apples metaphor originates from the proverb "A rotten apple quickly infects its neighbor", first recorded as used in English in 1340. The proverb was rephrased by Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard's Almanack in 1736, stating "the rotten apple spoils his companion." The phrase was popularized by sermons during the 19th century, claiming "As one bad apple spoils the others, so you must show no quarter to sin or sinners." A popular form of the saying became "One bad appl…
Modern usage
When the US Army's war crimes at Abu Ghraib surfaced, the condemnation given by the George W. Bush administration was characterised by the press as blaming "a few bad apples" for abuse of prisoners.
Barack Obama used the bad apple metaphor in a 2013 speech to defend his Healthcare law when thousands of Americans were losing their health insuranc…
See also
• Blue Lives Matter
• Blue wall of silence
• A.C.A.B.
• NotAllMen
Further reading
• Beck, Raphe; Wicks La Puma, Deborah; La Puma, Christopher P. (2006). One Bad Apple: A New Musical about a Really Old Story (Paperback). Dramatic Pub. p. 5. ISBN 1583423079.
External links
• The dictionary definition of bad apple at Wiktionary