Question

Complete the following proverb:
The apple doesn’t fall far from the ______.
a) river
b) farm
c) tree
d) sky

Answer 1

Hint: Idioms often use metaphorical phrases for comparison. We need to find the origin of the only noun in the given sentence, which will complete the sentence.

Complete answer:
 There are a number of idioms in the English language that are set phrases that have an assigned meaning. They cannot be changed and their context is always well-defined.

In this case, the idiom is ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’. This is a concrete idiom that cannot be changed. The meaning is easy to guess. The idiom means that a child grows up to be similar to its parents, both in behaviour and in physical characteristics. This means that the metaphor is that the apple is the child, and the tree that nurtures the apple is the parent.

Now, we know the meaning and usage of the given idiom. Let’s look at the available options-
a) river - The word ‘river’ refers to ‘a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another river’. However, apples do not originate from rivers. This does not fit into the given proverb. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) farm - The word ‘farm’ refers to ‘an area of land and its buildings, used for growing crops and rearing animals'. However, apples do not originate from farms. This does not fit into the given proverb. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) tree - The word ‘tree’ refers to ‘a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to a considerable height’. Apples originate from trees. This fits perfectly into the given sentence. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
d) sky - The word ‘sky’ refers to ‘the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth'. However, apples do not originate from skies. This does not fit into the given proverb. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
Identify the context of the sentence and choose the most relevant option. Idioms are predetermined, and they cannot be edited.