how do you like them apples
1
9.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
¿qué te parece eso?
- How do you like them apples?
Examples
-
"How do you like them apples?"
Fiction book (1991) -
Well, how do you like them apples?
Blog text (7) -
After winning the game, he turned to his friends and asked, "How do you like them apples?"
-
She finally graduated at the top of her class and playfully said, "Well, how do you like them apples?"
-
When her project was praised by the manager, she confidently exclaimed, "Now, how do you like them apples?"
Synonyms
1
7.8
To talk proudly about your own abilities or achievements
Antonyms
How Boastful
Surface Forms
Morphology
how + do + you + like + them + apples
The phrase is a fixed colloquial taunt whose intended meaning (boasting/challenge) cannot be derived from the literal meanings of 'how', 'do', 'you', 'like', 'them', and 'apples' — a learner who knew the words would likely interpret it as a literal question about apples. Its non-compositional, culture-specific idiomatic use (including colloquial 'them' and arbitrary choice of 'apples') makes the overall sense unpredictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
How do you like them apples may come from a simple image: imagine someone holding up shiny apples as a prize after a win and asking the crowd the question to show off. That's why today it is used to call attention to an achievement or 'to boast'.