"American as apple pie" means: Having characteristics considered quintessential to American life; very American.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
American as apple pie
(US, simile) Having characteristics considered quintessential to American life; very American.
Definitions
(US, simile) Having characteristics considered quintessential to American life; very American.
Josh Billings is as American as apple pie or the corncob pipe.
"American as apple pie" means: Having characteristics considered quintessential to American life; very American.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"American as apple pie" means: Having characteristics considered quintessential to American life; very American.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Related terms
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Semantically related
- apple pie81%
(figuratively) Anything positive that is quintessentially American.
- English as apple pie81%
(UK, simile) Having characteristics considered quintessential to English or British life.
- mom and apple pie69%
(US, symbolically) Wholesomeness and traditional (American) values.
- flag, motherhood and apple pie68%
(US, symbolically) Patriotism and traditional US values.
- flag, motherhood and apple pie64%
(US politics) Something that cannot be questioned because it appeals to patriotism and widely-held American traditional values.