# How do you like them apples? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-like-them-apples/321622 "2005-09-14T17:04:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bubastis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bubastis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubastis)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-like-them-apples/321622/1 "2005-09-14T17:04:02Z")
What apples? What on earth does this phrase mean? Where did it originate? ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-like-them-apples/321622/2 "2005-09-14T20:22:12Z")
WAG: Because there are so many varieties of apples, [unfortunately, not as many as there used to be,] the asker may have been questioning about a specific set of circumstances, as opposed to another, similar situation. Many varieties of apples differ quite a bit from others, in respect to taste, texture, aroma, etc. OR, in other words, how do you like THIS as opposed to THAT. ---
**Author:** ![Teter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Teter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teter)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-like-them-apples/321622/3 "2005-09-14T20:44:56Z")
really reaching here. at some point i think testicles were referred to as “apples” . could this be an early ancestor of “he must have those pants speacial made to have room for those big, shining, brass balls” ---
**Author:** ![Matteo\_Ricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Matteo\_Ricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matteo_Ricci)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-like-them-apples/321622/4 "2005-09-14T21:07:20Z")
I get the impression that it’s the relic of some old radio show or movie. Kind of those catch phrases you’ll hear in old cartoons and have no idea what they mean, like the “Hennn-REEEEE!!! / Coming mother!” exchange. I imagine the phrase done in a Bugs Bunny kind of voice, “hyeh hyeh hyeh, how do ya like DEM apples”? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-like-them-apples/321622/5 "2005-09-14T21:21:26Z")
> [@bubastis](#): > > What apples? What on earth does this phrase mean? Where did it originate? ‘Oh, you don’t like what you got? How do you like _these_?’ Basically, let’s assume that someone gets an apple and it’s not sweet enough or not ripe enough or whatever. So the one who gave him the apples takes them back and gives him wormy apples in their place. ‘How do you like _them_ apples?’ (‘Them’ being used to connote a working-class accent.) I don’t know the origin of the phrase, but it seems to be in the spirit of ‘Be thankful for what you have, since you may not like what replaces it’ or ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’ ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-like-them-apples/321622/6 "2005-09-14T22:00:12Z")
We did this before. I offered in that one > [@](#): > > I’m sure we’ve done this before, but too lazy to search. > > There exists a 1926 cite for “How do you like them grapes!” used in the same manner. > > So, the idea goes back at least that far. > > Why apples? Don’t know. . The previous thread from last Fall was [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=282232&highlight=apples](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=282232&highlight=apples)