ENGLISH
REFERENCE

an apple a day keeps the doctor away

idiom
Meaning

Apples are good for you


Origin

first recorded 20th c.

From a Welsh proverb recorded in the 1860s: 'Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread'; the modern form appeared by 1913.

Examples
SIMPLE

I eat fruit every morning because an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

CONTEXTUAL

My grandmother always packs fruit in my lunch, reminding me that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

COMPLEX

While modern medicine is essential, many people still follow the traditional advice that an apple a day keeps the doctor away to maintain their general health.

Last updated June 7, 2026