Sentence examples for a plum assignment from inspiring English sources

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Elisabeth was a plum assignment for the admirable and underappreciated American soprano Patricia Racette.

First, the vice-president, even though it is not a Plum assignment .

That is, until he lands a plum assignment to interview Thierry Grimandi (Eric Cantona), France's high priest of cinematic romance.

But he admitted that recording the newly captured Mr. Hussein was a plum assignment , with recognition attached.

BMW of North America completed a closely watched review of its creative advertising work by awarding a plum assignment to an agency that already works for the company.

If Dr. Whitson had dangled even a small chance at a plum assignment , like commanding the International Space Station, "I probably would have stayed," said Dr. Grunsfeld, 52.

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The Delicious Origins of 11 Fruitful Expressions

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The fleshy, edible, seed-bearing parts of plants are a fruitful source of terms and phrases. We’ve picked eleven for you.

1. APPLE OF SOMEONE’S EYE

The expression “apple of the eye” goes back to Old English. It referred to the pupil of the eye, which was thought to be a solid, spherical body. As early as the 10 th century, it was used figuratively to mean something precious. By the 14 th century, the apple of someone’s eye was a greatly cherished person.

2. BIG APPLE

Now the Big Apple is synonymous with New York City. When the term arose in the early 20th century, though, it had a more general meaning: a thing considered the most significant of its kind. It could be a VIP—a “big shot.” In 1911, the Chicago Defender , a nationally circulated African American newspaper, reported, “George Hayes and the Clancy Twins are the ‘big apple on the tree’ this week.” In 1920, vaudeville performer and writer for the Defender “Ragtime” Billy Tucker wrote that he was “still in the ‘Big Apple,’ Los Angeles.” But it soon became clear that, at least in horse racing and show business, New York was the place to be: the Big Apple. For another bite of the apple, look here .

“Bananas,” especially in the phrases “go bananas” or “drive someone bananas,” means crazy or wild. Some sources say the expression may be influenced by “go ape,” but in earlier slang “banana oil” or “bananas,” as in “what a load of bananas,” meant nonsense, insincere or insane talk or behavior. Incidentally, other heaps of soft, stinky stuff also symbolize crazy talk. Fill in the blank: “What a load of ____!” You said rubbish, tripe or Tommyrot; didn’t you?

4. TOP BANANA

The top banana was originally the comedian in a stage act who got top billing. Later, the meaning extended to refer to the leader or most important person in any group. In 1958, the New York Times reported, “[Phil] Silvers…credits another burlesque comedian, Harry Steppe, with introducing the phrase ‘top banana’ into show business jargon in 1927... It rose out of a routine...in which three comedians tried to share two bananas.”

5. CHERRY PICKING

Cherry picking, the biased selection of statistics to support an argument, may relate to the hydraulic crane (popularly known as a cherry picker) that allows a worker lifted on platform to select the best fruit (and not to the person ahead of you in a buffet line with the same advantage).

6. SOUR GRAPES

In Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes,” a hungry fox leaps at, but cannot reach, a bunch of grapes. As he slinks away he tells himself they weren’t ripe yet and he doesn’t need any sour grapes. People who disparage something they seem to want but can’t get are said to turn the object of desire into sour grapes.

Since the Middle Ages, “sour” has been used figuratively to mean disappointing or unpleasant, and since the beginning of the 20 th century, lemons have symbolized that sourness. “Lemon” is so apt an emblem for a deal gone sour that it’s become a term of art in finance. A Dictionary of Economics (Oxford, 2013) defines “lemon” as “an unsatisfactory product, where quality cannot reliably be checked before purchase…The market for second-hand cars is a typical example of the market for lemons at work.”

8. SWEET LEMONS

“Sweet lemons” are the opposite of “sour grapes”; Pollyannas who make the best of a bad situation are said to have an attitude of sweet lemons.

9. GO PEAR-SHAPED

“Go pear-shaped” is chiefly British slang for go wrong or go awry. The expression arose in the Royal Air Force, perhaps referring to the distorted shape of an aircraft that has crashed nose-first.

Since the early 19 th century, “plum” has meant any desirable thing, a coveted prize, the pick of a collection, the choice part of a book, etc. Now the word is used as an adjective describing something prized, like a “plum assignment.” The expression may come, as one source suggests, from picking the tastiest bits out of a plum pudding. One caveat though: plum pudding was never made with the fruit we now call plums. As Stephen Dowell explains in A History of Taxation and Taxes in England (1884), dried grapes are called raisins when eaten uncooked, but “plums when they form an ingredient in the famous English plum pudding.”

11. GIVE SOMEONE THE RASPBERRY

When you give the raspberry you show your contempt by sticking out your tongue and making a rude noise by expelling air between your tongue and upper lip. The term raspberry comes not from the pink color of your tongue but from Cockney rhyming slang . “Raspberry” is short for “raspberry tart,” which rhymes with another rude bodily sound.

Sources: OED Online; Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang, Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms, Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable and other sources contained in Oxford Reference Online, via Los Angeles Public Library

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Definition of plum adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

  • She's landed a plum job at the BBC.

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Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

meaning of plum assignment

: : If a job is regarded as a plum one then it is considered very desirous. Why "plum"? Plum in the 17th century was slang for £1000, a very large sum indeed in those times. This use was then applied to some political jobs, thought by the man in the street to involve little work for a lot of money. From there the word entered wider use for an easy, choice job.

Ah, but it's also true that "plum" meant soft (with both newly-risen bread and wenches described that way....) so a plum job was a soft job, a metaphor still used today.

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A Plum Job – Idiom of the Day

Justin

Updated On Aug 26, 2024

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Want to boost your IELTS Speaking and Writing? Discover how using the idiom "a plum job" can elevate your vocabulary and make your responses stand out!

A Plum Job – Idiom of the Day

Table of Contents

Meaning of the a plum job - ielts idiom.

  • Origin of the A Plum Job - IELTS Idiom:

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If you want to get a high band score on the IELTS exam , it is always a good idea to learn how to sound natural. Native users frequently use idioms in their speech, so you should be familiar with a few of the more common ones. So, now, let us learn a new idiom to ace your IELTS - A Plum Job!

Before that, take a look at the latest 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking too!

The idiom "A Plum Job" means A good job which is well-paid and relatively easy.

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Origin of the A Plum Job - IELTS Idiom :

It is said that “plum” in the 17th century was slang for £1000, a very large sum indeed in those times. This use was then applied to some political jobs, thought by the man in the street to involve little work for a lot of money. From there the word entered wider use for an easy, choice job.

Usage of the A Plum Job - IELTS Idiom :

  • The goal is to land a plum job as a government official of some sort, and not have to worry about money for the rest of my life.
  • There are no plum jobs here, mate. This is a dog eat dog world. Either you go up, or you go out.
  • With over a billion Indians, there has to be competition for the plum jobs .
  • Can’t you use your connections and land me a plum job in your company?
  • Being a lifeguard at an olympic swimming pool is one of the best plum jobs ever. You don’t have to worry about anyone drowning!
  • Working on an oil rig is not a plum job , but it really pays well, and you don’t necessarily need a college degree to get a job on one of them.

The importance of idioms like ‘A Plum Job’ in the IELTS exam cannot be ignored! Using idioms in your IELTS speaking and writing tasks can boost your score and make your language sound more engaging. However, it's also important to use them appropriately and make them fit naturally within the context.

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Justin

Justin is our Exam Prep Master and helps our learners with the important information, tips to tackle the IELTS Test. He has his way of researching and putting into words the details that students need to know while prepping for the IELTS Test. Justin joined us right after working with an NGO, which helped students study. He understood the difficulties for local students who took up the IELTS Test as English wasn't their first language and thus took it upon him to educate and help students learn the basics of the language and how to tackle the test.

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Notes On 'Plum' and 'Plumb' (and 'Plump')

Plum and plumb and plump look like siblings (or at least cousins), but confuse them at your peril: they're not the same at all.

plum plumb difference

so sweet / and so cold

Plum is only ever a noun (though it's a noun with adjectival tendencies). It's the fruit and the tree that fruit grows on (which, incidentally, is part of the rose family). When the fruit is dried it's called a prune, which our very reliable grandparents assured us was essential for health.

Plums being sweet and all, it's plum you want when you're describing what sweet informally also describes: a plum deal, a plum job, that plum apartment. We agree that it looks very adjectival here, but it's more properly considered an attributive noun . (One tip-off that it's not an adjective is that we don't say "that job is plum"; instead we use plummy .)

Plumb is the word that has to do with your pipes and plumbing . That b is silent, making plumb sound identical to the name of the fruit. While the b does helpfully signal in print that the words are different, we will note here that the b was not natural to the English word, but was bestowed by some scholars who wanted the English word to look more like its Latin ancestor, plumbum , meaning "lead." Thanks, guys.

Plumb as a noun refers to a lead weight that's attached to a line and used especially to indicate a vertical direction. It's often used in the phrases "out of plumb" and "off plumb" to mean "out of vertical or true," or "not precisely vertical."

Unlike plum , plumb hasn't been satisfied with simple noun use. No, the word functions also as an adverb, a verb, and an adjective. The adverb has the literal use of "vertically," as in "a rope hanging plumb," but gets applied figuratively and informally too with the meanings "absolutely," as in "plumb wrong," and "exactly," as in "plumb in the middle." Its verb use is mostly limited to two kinds: those to do with the very concrete tasks of installing pipes and connecting fixtures (as in "plumbing a new house" and "plumbing the bathroom fixtures"), and those that are metaphorical extensions of the lead weight especially as it's used to determine water depth on sounding lines : a play that "plumbs the depths of human nature" fully examines human nature; if a stock "plumbs new depths" it reaches a new lowest value. As an adjective, plumb mostly is used to mean "exactly vertical," as in "a plumb wall."

And then there's plump .

It sounds different, what with that final \p\, but it looks awfully similar, and it has some meanings that make it ripe for confusion with the others. Like plumb , plump functions in multiple ways. It's mostly known for its adjective use meaning of "having a full rounded usually pleasing form," as in "plump cheeks," but it's a verb, twice over—by which we mean there are two verbs plump that are etymologically unrelated. The oldest meaning of plump , having to do with dropping, sinking, or placing suddenly or heavily, as in "they plumped down in the chair" and "she plumped the bags down onto the bench," is one of these. The same verb is used figuratively, especially with for , to talk about expressing support for someone or something, as in "plumping for the incumbent candidate," or in British English, to choose something or someone after careful consideration, as in "plumping for the cake rather than the pie." The other verb has to do with making or becoming plump, as in "plumping the pillows/cushions."

Quite obscure are two noun uses of plump , one referring to a sudden plunge, fall, or blow, or to the sound such a plump makes ("the plump of stones falling into the water"), and the other referring to a group or flock, as in "a plump of ducks."

Also obscure but trickier is the adverbial plump : it means "with a sudden or heavy drop," as in "landing plump on the floor," as well as "straight down" ("falling plump to the bottom") and "straight ahead" ("standing plump in the path"). It's also used to mean "directly" or "without qualification," as in "say it plump and plain." But none of these are common in current use.

In summary, here are the most common uses of each: plum refers to a fruit and describes pleasant things; plump describes full, rounded forms; and plumb is a versatile word with verb meanings having to do with plumbing and deep examination and experience, adjective and adverb meanings having to do with verticality, and informal use as a synonym of "absolutely" and "exactly." We never said English was easy.

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  • drupe - A fleshy fruit with thin skin and a central stone (e.g. almonds, cherries, plums, olives), it comes from Latin drupa, "overripe olive," from Greek druppa, "olive."
  • plum , prune - Plum and prune are ultimately the same word, coming from Greek proumnon.
  • plum job - Relates to the 1600s British term "plum" for 1,000 pounds, meaning a serious amount of money.
  • plum pudding - So named because it was originally made with plums—the word was retained to denote "raisin," which became the main ingredient.
- any of several trees producing edible oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single hard stone - any of numerous varieties of small to medium-sized round or oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single pit , - a genus of shrubs and trees of the family Rosaceae that is widely distributed in temperate regions , - an uncultivated plum tree or shrub , - any of various widely distributed plums grown in the cooler temperate areas , - small wild or half-domesticated Eurasian plum bearing small ovoid fruit in clusters , - small tree of southwestern United States having purplish-red fruit sometimes cultivated as an ornamental for its large leaves , - small tree native to northeastern North America having oblong orange-red fruit , , , - small Asiatic tree bearing edible red or yellow fruit , - small tree of China and Japan bearing large yellow to red plums usually somewhat inferior to European plums in flavor , , - shrub of the Pacific coast of the United States bearing small red insipid fruit - tree bearing edible fruit
- any of numerous varieties of small to medium-sized round or oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single pit - edible reproductive body of a seed plant especially one having sweet flesh , - dark purple plum of the damson tree , - sweet green or greenish-yellow variety of plum - small dark purple fruit used especially in jams and pies - small sour dark purple fruit of especially the Allegheny plum bush - a large red plum served as dessert , - any of several trees producing edible oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single hard stone , - fleshy indehiscent fruit with a single seed: e.g. almond; peach; plum; cherry; elderberry; olive; jujube
- a highly desirable position or assignment; "a political plum" , , , , , , , - a job in an organization; "he occupied a post in the treasury"
- exactly; "fell plumb in the middle of the puddle" - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech
- completely; used as intensifiers; "clean forgot the appointment"; "I'm plumb (or plum) tuckered out" , , , , , , , - a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves); "they don't speak our lingo"
  • Alleghany plum
  • Allegheny plum
  • American red plum
  • August plum
  • batoko palm
  • beach plum bush
  • big-tree plum
  • Canada plum
  • Carissa grandiflora
  • Carissa macrocarpa
  • carissa plum
  • Cephalotaxaceae
  • Cephalotaxus
  • cherry plum
  • Plug centerbit
  • plug compatible
  • plug-and-play
  • plug-compatible
  • Plum gouger
  • plum pudding
  • plum tomato
  • Plum weevil
  • Plumb joint
  • plumb level
  • plugs away at
  • plugs away at something
  • plugs it out
  • plugs it up
  • plugs someone
  • plugs something
  • plugs something out
  • plugs that out
  • plugs these out
  • plugs those out
  • plum assignment
  • plum assignment, a
  • plum assignments
  • plum blotch
  • Plum Boro Athletic Association
  • Plum Borough Education Association
  • Plum Borough School District
  • Plum Brook Reactor
  • Plum Brook Reactor Facility
  • plum curculios
  • Plum Grove Junior High
  • Plum high school
  • plum in my mouth
  • plum in one's mouth
  • plum in your mouth
  • Plum Island Animal Disease Center
  • Plum Island Animal Disease Laboratory
  • Plum Island Community Airfield, Inc
  • Plum Island Ultralight Flyers' Club
  • plum job, a
  • Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area
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Meaning of plum in English

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  • purple plums
  • These plums are a bit sour .
  • Peaches, plums, dates , avocados , and olives all contain stones .
  • She bit into a plum.
  • plum crumble
  • alligator pear
  • alpine strawberry
  • cooking apple
  • Red Delicious
  • salmonberry

plum adjective ( GOOD )

  • awesomesauce
  • knock spots off something idiom
  • like a boss idiom
  • out of sight idiom
  • rule OK idiom

plum adjective ( COLOUR )

  • apple green
  • peacock blue
  • racing green
  • salmon pink
  • shocking pink

plum | American Dictionary

Plum noun [c] ( fruit ), plum noun [c] ( something good ), examples of plum, translations of plum.

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Treasure troves and endless supplies (Words and phrases meaning ‘source’)

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meaning of plum assignment

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Fruit Idioms and Phrases - wordscoach.com

100+ Fruit Idioms and Phrases

List of useful idioms about fruits with meaning and examples. Learn cherry idioms, apple idioms, orange idioms, banana idioms, lemon idioms, plum idioms, and peach idioms in English.

Fruit Idioms and Phrases

Apple of my eye

Meaning: someone or something that is cherished above all others. Example: My daughter is the apple of my eye.

Bite the bullet

Meaning: to endure a painful or difficult situation with courage. Example: I have to bite the bullet and tell my boss that I made a mistake.

Sour grapes

Meaning: to disparage something that one cannot have. Example: He said he didn’t like the new car, but it was just sour grapes because he couldn’t afford it.

Not give a fig

Meaning: To not care at all about something Example: Do whatever you want, I do not give a fig.

Peaches and cream

Meaning: something that is perfect or ideal. Example: The vacation was peaches and cream. We had a great time.

Meaning: something that is flawed or defective. Example: This car is a lemon. It always breaks down.

Meaning: something that is the result of mixing two different things or ideas. Example: The new movie is an orange of action and romance.

Meaning: the informal means of communication that spread rumors. Example: I heard on the grapevine that the company is going to lay off some employees.

Cherry-pick

Meaning: to choose only the best or most desirable things. Example: The coach is going to cherry-pick the best players for the team.

Banana republic

Meaning: a country that is politically unstable and dependent on a single export. Example: Some people think that our country is becoming a banana republic because we rely so heavily on one industry.

A peachy keen day

Meaning: a day that is perfect or delightful. Example: I had a peachy keen day at the beach yesterday.

Forbidden fruit

Meaning: something that is tempting but off-limits. Example: She knew that dating her boss was forbidden fruit, but she couldn’t resist.

Meaning: a desirable or well-paying job. Example: He was lucky to get such a plum job right out of college.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Meaning: a child will often exhibit characteristics similar to those of their parents. Example: My daughter loves to read, just like me. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Pomegranate smile

Meaning: a smile that is full of secrets or mystery. Example: She gave me a pomegranate smile when I asked her where she was going.

Grape picker

Meaning: a low-paying, menial job. Example: He had to work as a grape picker during the summer to earn some money.

A pear-shaped situation

Meaning: a situation that has gone wrong. Example: The party was supposed to be great, but everything went pear-shaped when the food was delivered late.

The apple cart upset

Meaning: to cause a disruption or upset. Example: The new policy really upset the apple cart and caused a lot of controversy.

Cherry on top

Meaning: an extra or additional benefit or positive aspect. Example: The salary was great, and the benefits were even better. The signing bonus was just the cherry on top.

The apple never falls far from the tree

Meaning: Family characteristics are usually inherited Example: Her daughter soon showed her own musical talent, proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Pineapple express

Meaning: a weather pattern that brings heavy rainfall. Example: The Pineapple Express is coming, so be prepared for some heavy rain.

Full of beans

Meaning: full of energy or enthusiasm. Example: The children were full of beans after playing in the park all day.

Speak with a plum in (one’s) mouth

Meaning: To speak in a manner that is indicative of a high social class. Primarily heard in UK. Example: He spoke with such a plum in his mouth that none of us working-class sods could stand to listen to him.

Meaning: pleasant or delightful. Example: The weather was peachy, so we decided to have a picnic in the park.

The grape is sour

Meaning: to criticize or belittle something because it is unattainable. Example: He said he didn’t want the promotion anyway, but it was clear that the grape is sour.

Meaning: An informal name for New York City Example: We spent the weekend in the Big Apple.

A fruitless effort

Meaning: an effort that is unlikely to succeed. Example: I tried to fix the broken vase, but it was a fruitless effort.

The cherry of the cake

Meaning: the best part of something. Example: The concert was great, but the encore was the cherry of the cake.

A bad apple

Meaning: a person who is dishonest or disruptive. Example: He was a bad apple who always caused trouble at work.

A plum in one’s mouth

Meaning: speaking in a refined or elegant manner. Example: She always spoke with a plum in her mouth, which made her sound very posh.

Grape expectations

Meaning: unrealistic or excessive expectations. Example: He had grape expectations for his new job and was disappointed when he found out it was more challenging than he thought.

Meaning: a law that protects consumers who buy defective products. Example: The car was a lemon, but luckily there was a lemon law that protected me from having to keep it.

A rotten banana

Meaning: a person who is a bad influence. Example: I don’t want my children hanging around with that rotten banana.

A fruit basket upset

Meaning: a chaotic or disorganized situation. Example: The party was a complete fruit basket upset, with people coming and going at all hours of the night.

The grapevine has it

Meaning: a rumor or piece of information that is circulating informally. Example: The grapevine has it that the company is about to be sold.

The cream of the crop

Meaning: the best of a group. Example: Out of all the applicants, she was the cream of the crop.

A plum assignment

Meaning: a desirable or interesting task or project. Example: I was given a plum assignment at work, and I can’t wait to get started on it.

A cherry bomb

Meaning: something that is loud or attention-grabbing. Example: The new sports car was a cherry bomb that turned heads wherever it went.

A banana skin

Meaning: a mistake or mishap. Example: He slipped on a banana skin and fell down the stairs.

The apple of discord

Meaning: something that causes disagreement or strife. Example: The decision about which proposal to accept became the apple of discord among the board members.

A peach of a person

Meaning: a kind and pleasant person. Example: My grandmother was a peach of a person who always had a kind word for everyone.

The grapevine is buzzing

Meaning: there is a lot of talk or speculation about something. Example: The grapevine is buzzing with rumors about a possible merger.

Cherry-picking

Meaning: selecting only the most favorable options or examples. Example: The politician was accused of cherry-picking data to support his argument.

A lemonade stand

Meaning: a small business venture usually run by children. Example: The children set up a lemonade stand on the corner to raise money for charity.

A ripe old age

Meaning: a very old age. Example: My grandmother lived to a ripe old age of 99.

A plum in the pudding

Meaning: a rich or wealthy person Example: After winning the lottery, John became a plum pudding overnight.

A peachy day

Meaning: a day that is very pleasant or enjoyable. Example: The weather was perfect, and we had a peachy day at the beach.

Apples and Oranges

Meaning: Of two different classes, not comparable Example: Comparing beer and good chardonnay is like comparing apples and oranges – they’re two different things.

To be in a jam

Meaning: to be in a difficult or tricky situation. Example: I’m in a jam because I promised to be in two places at once.

To be bananas

Meaning: to be crazy or irrational. Example: He’s been acting bananas ever since he lost his job.

To bear fruit

Meaning: to produce good results or outcomes. Example: The new marketing strategy is finally starting to bear fruit.

A fruitless search

Meaning: a search that yields no results or leads. Example: We conducted a fruitless search for the missing documents.

The apple of one’s eye

Meaning: someone who is cherished or loved above all others. Example: His granddaughter is the apple of his eye.

To be the pear in the fruit salad

Meaning: to be the odd one out or different from the rest. Example: She felt like the pear in the fruit salad at the party because she didn’t know anyone.

To be in a pineapple

Meaning: to be in a difficult or uncomfortable situation. Example: I’m in a pineapple because I lost my passport on the first day of my trip.

To be a plum job

Meaning: to be a highly desirable or sought-after job. Example: The position of CEO is a plum job that many people would love to have.

The fruit of the vine

Meaning: wine. Example: The vineyard produces some of the finest fruit of the vine in the region.

To grape about something

Meaning: to complain or gripe about something. Example: He’s always graping about his job, but he never does anything to change it.

To go bananas over something

Meaning: to become extremely excited or enthusiastic about something. Example: She went bananas over the new fashion collection.

To be in the cherry-picking seat

Meaning: to have the advantage of choosing the best or most desirable options. Example: As the employer, she was in the cherry-picking seat when it came to selecting new hires.

The forbidden fruit

Meaning: something that is desirable but off-limits or forbidden. Example: Dating a coworker was like the forbidden fruit in the office.

A juicy rumor

Meaning: a rumor that is exciting or scandalous. Example: There was a juicy rumor going around that the CEO was going to be fired.

To be the lemon

Meaning: to be a disappointment or failure. Example: The new product was a lemon, and it didn’t sell well.

To make lemonade out of lemons

Meaning: to turn a difficult situation into a positive one. Example: After losing his job, he decided to start his own business and made lemonade out of lemons.

To be a sour grape

Meaning: to be resentful or jealous of someone else’s success. Example: She’s always a sour grape when someone else gets promoted.

The pick of the crop

Meaning: the best or most desirable of a group. Example: These are the pick of the crop when it comes to designer handbags.

To be in the apple pie order

Meaning: to be in perfect or excellent condition. Example: After the renovations, the house was in apple pie order.

As red as a cherry

Meaning: Very red Example: Her cheeks were as red as a cherry.

To be as cool as a cucumber

Meaning: to be calm and composed. Example: During the interview, even though she was nervous, she managed to stay as cool as a cucumber and answer all the questions with confidence.

To go pear-shaped

Meaning: to go wrong or become a failure. Example: Everything was going well until the project went pear-shaped.

A bite at the cherry

Meaning: A good opportunity that isn’t available to everyone Example: You only get a bite at the cherry in life.

To be the cream of the crop

Meaning: to be the very best of a group. Example: Out of all the applicants, she was the cream of the crop.

To be a peach

Meaning: to be a pleasant and likable person. Example: She’s such a peach, always kind and friendly to everyone.

To have a grapevine

Meaning: to have a network of sources who provide information or gossip. Example: She had a grapevine at work and always knew the latest news.

To have cherry-picked information

Meaning: to selectively choose information that supports one’s own agenda. Example: The report was biased because they had cherry-picked information to support their conclusion.

To be a plum pudding

Meaning: to be a rich or wealthy person. Example: He inherited a fortune from his family and became a plum pudding overnight.

To bear the brunt

Meaning: to endure the worst part of something unpleasant. Example: The residents of the town bore the brunt of the hurricane’s damage.

A fruit basket turnover

Meaning: a situation in which there are many changes or replacements. Example: After the company was bought out, there was a fruit basket turnover in management.

To be the apple of discord

Meaning: to be a source of conflict or disagreement. Example: The distribution of profits was the apple of discord in the partnership.

To be in a plum position

Meaning: to be in an advantageous or favorable position. Example: After years of hard work, she was finally in a plum position at the company.

To be as nutty as a fruitcake

Meaning: to be crazy or eccentric. Example: The new neighbor was as nutty as a fruitcake and did strange things.

The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree

Meaning: children often resemble their parents in behavior or personality. Example: He’s just like his father – the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.

To be a ripe old age

Meaning: to be very old. Example: She lived to a ripe old age of 95.

To be a grape escape

Meaning: a situation in which one escapes from something undesirable or unpleasant. Example: Going on vacation was a grape escape from the stress of work.

To be as sweet as honey

Meaning: to be kind and friendly. Example: She’s always as sweet as honey to everyone she meets.

To be the cream in the coffee

Meaning: to be an essential and valuable addition to something. Example: The new employee was the cream in the coffee and made the team more productive.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

Meaning: Make the best of a bad situation Example: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade—it’ll help you keep a positive attitude.

A rotten apple

Meaning: a person who has a negative influence on others. Example: The manager was a rotten apple who always caused problems with the team.

To go bananas over someone

Meaning: to be in love with someone. Example: Ever since they met, he’s been going bananas over her.

To be the pineapple of someone’s eye

Meaning: to be someone’s favorite or most valued person. Example: After they got married, she became the pineapple of his eye.

Through the Grapevine

Meaning: Via gossip Example: I heard through the grapevine that Ivan and Amber are going out. Is it true?

To be as cool as a watermelon

Meaning: to be calm and collected. Example: I put the watermelon in the fridge for a few hours to make it cool and refreshing on a hot summer day.

The fruit of one’s labor

Meaning: the positive results of one’s hard work and efforts. Example: After years of studying and practicing, winning the competition was the fruit of her labor.

To be in the pits

Meaning: to be in a low or depressing state. Example: After the breakup, she was in the pits for a while.

To be a sourpuss

Meaning: to be a person who is constantly negative or in a bad mood. Example: He’s always complaining and being a sourpuss about everything.

A juicy story

Meaning: an interesting or scandalous story that is worth hearing. Example: She had a juicy story about the celebrity that everyone wanted to hear.

To be a lemon

Meaning: to be a product that is defective or doesn’t work properly. Example: The car turned out to be a lemon and needed constant repairs.

To be as sharp as a pineapple

Meaning: to be quick-witted and intelligent. Example: He’s always as sharp as a pineapple and comes up with clever solutions.

To be a fruitcake

Meaning: to be crazy or eccentric. Example: The new teacher was a fruitcake and had some strange teaching methods.

To be the apple of someone’s eye

Meaning: to be someone’s favorite person. Example: Even though they had many children, she was always the apple of her father’s eye.

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  • a plum in (one's) mouth
  • have a plum in (one's) mouth

like a ripe plum

  • plum assignment
  • speak with a plum in (one's) mouth
  • a plum in your mouth
  • have a plum in your mouth

like a ripe plum ( or ripe plums)

  • air of (something)
  • air of pretension
  • that's the thing
  • run a fever and run a temperature
  • pluck out of pluck out
  • pluck something from the air
  • pluck something out of the air
  • pluck up (one's) courage
  • pluck up courage
  • pluck up one's courage
  • pluck up the courage to (do something)
  • pluck/screw/summon up courage
  • plug (something) into (something)
  • plug away (at something)
  • plugged in, be
  • plugging along
  • plumb crazy
  • plumb new depths
  • plumb new depths (of something)
  • plumb the depths
  • plumb the depths (of something)
  • plumb the depths of something
  • plumb the depths, to
  • plumber's crack
  • plumber's helper
  • plumber's smile
  • plume (oneself) on (something)
  • plume oneself
  • plummet (down) to (something or some place)
  • plummet (down) to earth
  • plummet to earth
  • plugs away at
  • plugs away at something
  • plugs it out
  • plugs it up
  • plugs someone
  • plugs something
  • plugs something out
  • plugs that out
  • plugs these out
  • plugs those out
  • plum assignment, a
  • plum assignments
  • plum blotch
  • Plum Boro Athletic Association
  • Plum Borough Education Association
  • Plum Borough School District
  • Plum Brook Reactor
  • Plum Brook Reactor Facility
  • plum curculios
  • Plum gouger
  • Plum Grove Junior High
  • Plum high school
  • plum in my mouth
  • plum in one's mouth
  • plum in your mouth
  • Plum Island Animal Disease Center
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  • Plum Island Ultralight Flyers' Club
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  • the drupaceous fruit of any of several trees belonging to the genus Prunus, of the rose family, having an oblong stone.
  • the tree itself.
  • any of various other trees bearing a plumlike fruit.
  • the fruit itself.
  • a sugarplum .
  • a raisin, as in a cake or pudding.
  • a deep purple varying from bluish to reddish.

The choicest plums went to his old cronies.

The company offered bonuses and other plums.

  • Also called displacer . a large stone used in massive concrete construction.

a plum job in the foreign service.

  • a city in SW Pennsylvania.
  • a variant spelling of plumb plumb plumb plumb
  • a small rosaceous tree, Prunus domestica, with white flowers and an edible oval fruit that is purple, yellow, or green and contains an oval stone See also greengage damson
  • the fruit of this tree
  • a raisin, as used in a cake or pudding
  • a dark reddish-purple colour

a plum carpet

  • something of a superior or desirable kind, such as a financial bonus

Derived Forms

  • ˈplumˌlike , adjective

Other Words From

  • plumlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plum 1

Example Sentences

Meny suggests the compact, dense variety named Rubicon, which has the bonus of turning an attractive plum-purple in cold winters.

In 1939, an “early New England Thanksgiving menu” included oyster soup, venison, cornbread and plum pudding with brandy sauce.

North America’s various beach plums bear purple-blue, cherry-sized fruits that make for a beloved New England jelly.

The Sense also supports Fitbit Pay, which connects to your credit and debit cards and supports contactless payments—a plum feature to have during a pandemic for those on the go.

This unique style suits coach Bill Laimbeer — whose teams have often ranked near the bottom of the league in 3-point shooting — and a roster missing Plum’s pick-and-roll wizardry and Cambage’s dominant interior scoring.

It was popularized as a holiday dessert in 16th-century England and also is known as Christmas pudding or plum pudding.

At least those parents whose kids landed the plum roles will be.

Central won thirty-three consecutive games, and Suffridge became a plum for the college recruiters.

Now Yesh Atid will demand and receive additional plum ministries.

After realizing how difficult this plum post would be, “Biden” writes that he “wised up and settled on my current fallback plan.”

Spain is at war with North America, and now offers us this sugar-plum to draw us to her side to defend her against invasion.

The system would be perfect for the mellowing of port or madeira, but when it is applied to plum and apple jam or, when 18 pr.

If the cake rises well in the oven, it is commonly said that it is "nice and plum;" and vice vers, that it is heavy.

Cheese is now eaten with apple puddings and pies; but is there any nook in England where they still grate it over plum pudding?

Kano pensively lifted a plum upon the point of a toothpick and began nibbling at its wrinkled skin.

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IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. A plum assignment

    Definition of a plum assignment in the Idioms Dictionary. a plum assignment phrase. What does a plum assignment expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary.

  2. plum job/role/assignment etc

    From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English plum job/role/assignment etc plum job/role/assignment etc informal JOB/WORK a good job etc that other people wish they had He landed a plum role in a TV mini-series. → plum Examples from the Corpus plum job/role/assignment etc • For me, it was a plum assignment. • The good news was he had landed a plum job on the mortgage trading desk.

  3. Understanding "A Plum Assignment"

    Unlocking the Meaning in English: Understanding 'A Plum Assignment' • Discover the hidden significance behind the phrase 'A Plum Assignment' in English. Join...

  4. Understanding "Plum Assignment": A Guide for English Language ...

    00:00 • Introduction - Understanding "Plum Assignment": A Guide for English Language Learners00:31 • What Does "Plum Assignment" Mean?00:57 • The Origin of t...

  5. a plum assignment

    For example, "I was so pleased to receive a plum assignment to lead the project team." exact ( 46 ) This was a plum assignment, even if it was high-hanging fruit for a hockey novice. 1. The New York Times. Elisabeth was a plum assignment for the admirable and underappreciated American soprano Patricia Racette. 2.

  6. PLUM JOB definition and meaning

    PLUM JOB definition | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples

  7. The Delicious Origins of 11 Fruitful Expressions

    Now the word is used as an adjective describing something prized, like a "plum assignment." The expression may come, as one source suggests, from picking the tastiest bits out of a plum pudding.

  8. Plum job

    Define plum job. plum job synonyms, plum job pronunciation, plum job translation, English dictionary definition of plum job. Relates to the 1600s British term "plum" for 1,000 pounds, meaning a serious amount of money.

  9. plum adjective

    Definition of plum adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  10. Plum assignment

    Definition of plum assignment in the Idioms Dictionary. plum assignment phrase. What does plum assignment expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary.

  11. A plum job

    Plum in the 17th century was slang for £1000, a very large sum indeed in those times. This use was then applied to some political jobs, thought by the man in the street to involve little work for a lot of money. From there the word entered wider use for an easy, choice job. Ah, but it's also true that "plum" meant soft (with both newly-risen ...

  12. Plum assignments

    Definition of plum assignments in the Idioms Dictionary. plum assignments phrase. What does plum assignments expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. ... Dennis is flying to Thailand to cover the tourism industry there, a plum assignment that everyone in the office desperately wanted.

  13. A Plum Job

    Origin of the A Plum Job - IELTS Idiom: It is said that "plum" in the 17th century was slang for £1000, a very large sum indeed in those times. This use was then applied to some political jobs, thought by the man in the street to involve little work for a lot of money. From there the word entered wider use for an easy, choice job.

  14. 'Plum' vs. 'Plumb' (vs. 'Plump') Usage and Difference

    As an adjective, plumb mostly is used to mean "exactly vertical," as in "a plumb wall." And then there's plump. It sounds different, what with that final \p\, but it looks awfully similar, and it has some meanings that make it ripe for confusion with the others. Like plumb, plump functions in multiple ways. It's mostly known for its adjective ...

  15. Plum

    plum - a highly desirable position or assignment; "a political plum" berth , billet , post , situation , position , office , place , spot - a job in an organization; "he occupied a post in the treasury"

  16. PLUM

    PLUM definition: 1. a small, round fruit with a thin, smooth, red, purple, or yellow skin, sweet, soft flesh, and a…. Learn more.

  17. Plum job

    Definition of plum job in the Idioms Dictionary. plum job phrase. What does plum job expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. ... plum assignment, a; plum assignments; Plum bird; plum blotch; Plum Boro Athletic Association; Plum Borough Education Association; Plum Borough School District;

  18. 100+ Fruit Idioms and Phrases

    A plum assignment. Meaning: a desirable or interesting task or project. Example: I was given a plum assignment at work, and I can't wait to get started on it. A cherry bomb. Meaning: something that is loud or attention-grabbing. Example: The new sports car was a cherry bomb that turned heads wherever it went. A banana skin. Meaning: a mistake ...

  19. PLUM JOB definition in American English

    plum job These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins. We welcome feedback: you can select the flag against a sentence to report it.

  20. Plum

    Definition of plum in the Idioms Dictionary. plum phrase. What does plum expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Plum - Idioms by The Free Dictionary ... Dennis is flying to Thailand to cover the tourism industry there, a plum assignment that everyone in the office desperately wanted.

  21. plum, n. & adj.² meanings, etymology and more

    There are 16 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word plum, two of which are labelled obsolete. See 'Meaning & use' for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. plum has developed meanings and uses in subjects including. plants (Old English) food and cooking (late 1600s) economics and commerce (early 1700s) geology (1810s) woodworking ...

  22. PLUM Definition & Meaning

    Plum definition: the drupaceous fruit of any of several trees belonging to the genus Prunus, of the rose family, having an oblong stone.. See examples of PLUM used in a sentence.

  23. plum

    • An image that captures the dichotomy of possibilities in getting older is the plum versus the prune. • He said that wild plums were delicious. Related topics: Colours plum plum 2 adjective 1 → plum job/role/assignment etc 2 CC having a dark purple-red colour Examples from the Corpus plum • For me, it was a plum assignment.