Hi, everyone!
I'm reading the story "Every Little Hurricane" of Sherman Alexie from The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and there are such words: “God----mn it,” one Indian yelled at another as the argument began. “You ain’t sh-t, you fuc----ing apple.” I can't understand why "apple" is a swear word and what "fuc---ing apple" means in this situation. It isn't clear from the context. Dictionaries and Google don't know)) Does anyone have any idea about this?

Question

Hi, everyone!
I'm reading the story "Every Little Hurricane" of Sherman Alexie from The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and there are such words: “God----mn it,” one Indian yelled at another as the argument began. “You ain’t sh-t, you fuc----ing apple.”  I can't understand why "apple" is a swear word and what "fuc---ing apple" means in this situation.  It isn't clear from the context. Dictionaries and Google don't know)) Does anyone have any idea about this?

Answer

Outside of this short story, I personally have never heard "apple" being used an insult. However, there are people that create meaning from mundane things. Gordon Ramsay does this all the time; he's referred to some bad cooks as "donuts," "sandwiches" or even "tacos." Likewise, there's no book that's going to tell you the derogatory meaning of "apple," because it isn't typically used in that way. The author either invented the meaning or it has a very obscure meaning that cannot be found in books. However, just based on context, "apple" probably means "idiot," or something along those lines.

Answer

It is just a made up word meaning nothing. I do this all the time with my wife. I'll call her a tulip or a catapiller.

Answer

what are you talking about?

Answer

apple (plural apples)

(derogatory, ethnic slur) A Native American or red-skinned person who acts and/or thinks like a white (Caucasian) person.

It's kind of the Native version of Uncle Tom.

Answers · 4

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