What does an apple of your eye mean?

[Lubov]

English Idioms and Expressions, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #14 "British Idioms", question 2

I suppose she was the apple of your eye at the time.

(a) your favourite fruit
(b) your favourite meal
(c) your favourite person
(d) your favourite book

English Idioms and Expressions, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #14 "British Idioms", answer 2

I suppose she was your favourite person at the time.

Correct answer: (c) your favourite person
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what does it " The apple of your eye" mean?

[Daniela]

Hello,

If something/ someone is "the apple of your eye", it means that he/ she or it is your favourite person/ thing. It is an idiom meaning "favourite".

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[Mister Micawber]

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Some interesting etymology from Word-Detective.com:

To say that someone or something is "the apple of one's eye" is to say that he, she or it is the most cherished or valued among many, the favorite, the pet. The metaphor first appeared in English around A.D. 885 and has been in nearly constant use ever since; in modern usage the phrase is regarded as a hoary clich?.

Although apples have long been used as symbols of health or good fortune, the origin of "apple of one's eye" reflected a remarkable misunderstanding of human anatomy. Before ocular structure was fully understood, the pupil of the eye (the small dark opening at the very center) was thought to be not a hole, but a solid, globular object. As apples were perhaps the most common spherical object in everyday life, this "tiny sphere" became known as "the apple of the eye." And, since vision is generally regarded as our most vital sense, it made sense to use the apparent core of vision, the "apple of the eye," as a metaphor for that which is most precious to us.
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Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mister Micawber