Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) a weakling, thus derog. for a liberal.

1998

D. Jenkins Rude Behavior 49: ‘We’ve got some fruits and nuts on our faculty who’d have to put cold rags on their foreheads if they heard you call ‘em Japs instead of Jap-oh-nese’.

(US) an eccentric.

1979		J. Morrow Confessions of Proinsias O’Toole 23: ‘This morning I had a visit from the Major – ’ ‘That fruit merchant!’.
1987		C. Hiaasen Double Whammy (1990) 71: ‘Met a guy named Skink,’ Decker said. Gault whistled [...] ‘A real fruitbar.’.
1995		C. Hiaasen Stormy Weather 280: Fine [...] you two fruitballs stay if you want.
1996		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 3: fruit head – someone who acts silly, stupid.
1997		C. Hiaasen Lucky You 174: ‘He’s really something. You gotta admit.’ ‘Yeah. A fruit basket.’.
1999		Observer 3 Oct. 22: Too simplistic to think of the word ‘fruitbat’.
2006		C. Hiaasen Nature Girl 203: I’ve never run up against so many card-carryin’ fruitballs in my life.

1. white tennis shoes, white suede shoes.

1957		Wash. Post 29 Sept. F1/1–2: Also added to the teen dictionary is ‘fruit boats’ [sic] (the new colored suede shoes).
1964		Lavender Lex. n.p.: fruit boots:–Wellington boots favored by homosexuals; also desert boots; white or green low-cut tennis shoes.
1970		(con. 1950s) H. Junker ‘The Fifties’ in Eisen Age of Rock 2 (1970) 102: With a digression to honor [...] saddle shoes, fruit boots, straight skirts, ponytails.

2. ‘Beatle boots’ or any Italian-style shoes with pointed toes.

1960		D. Hamilton Death of a Citizen 31: Light-colored, low-heeled pull-on boots with the rough side of the leather showing that are sometimes known locally as fruit-boots, being the preferred footgear of a few gentlemen whose virility is subject to question.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 86: fruit-boots (dated) throughout the ’50s, fruit boots were white tennies or white suede shoes. Into the ’60s, the term became the Beatle boots or any Italian-made sharp-toed shoes which heightened the so-called effeminization of the American youth.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 342: There’s Bongo. He’s in bikini briefs. He’s in fruit boots.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 180: Pointy-toe fruit boots cinched the enchanting ensemble.

3. see Irish fruit under Irish adj.

see separate entries.

see sense 2 above.

(Aus.) a psychiatric institution.

1967

‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxiv 4/5: fruit factory: From nutty, fruit cake, the nut house.

1. a homosexual man.

1970		J. Wambaugh New Centurions 201: ‘The open restrooms draw fruits like flies.’ ‘Fruit flies,’ said Simeone.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 157: In the homosexual world, the term has been elaborated on in various ways, e.g., fruiter, fruit fly (also a heterosexual woman who is attracted to fruits), fruit merchant.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 103: Bobby was a notorious fruitfly with a rap sheet full of homo-pandering beefs.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 540: Fruit Alert — Bayard Rustin — fruit fly at ten o’clock high.

2. (US gay) a heterosexual woman who enjoys the company of homosexual rather than heterosexual men.

1964		Lavender Lex. n.p.: fruit fly:–Some women other than lesbians, who frequent the hangouts of the homosexuals. Altho most of them are young there is still a goodly representation of the matronly and Perle Mesta type. Not ordinarily welcome among the gay.
1970		J.P. Stanley ‘Homosexual Sl.’ in AS XLV:1/2 57: fruit fly n Woman who seeks the company of male homosexuals, usually for sexual reasons.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 157: In the homosexual world, the term has been elaborated on in various ways, e.g., fruiter, fruit fly (also a heterosexual woman who is attracted to fruits), fruit merchant.
1997–2002		Alt. Eng. Dict. 🌐 fruit fly a woman who likes the company of male homosexuals. An alternate form of ‘fag hag’.
1998		R. Scott Rebecca’s Dict. of Queer Sl. 🌐 fruit bat or fruit fly — see fag hag.
1999		Gaymart.com Queer Sl. in the Gay 90s 🌐 Fruit Flies – Another term for Fag Hags. Heterosexual women who socialize extensively with gay men.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

3. (US Und.) a heterosexual man who specializes in robbing homosexuals whom he has fooled into believing he is looking for gay sex.

2001

J. Stahl Plainclothes Naked (2002) 105: Little Mac [...] A straight fruitbat. Lure some shlub who wanted chocolate cake into a dark corner, then turn round, clock him and cop his wallet.

(US) one who pursues passive homosexuals for sex and money, thus v. fruit-hustle.

1959		J. Rechy in Big Table I (No. 3) 15: Masculine vagrants – ‘fruithustlers’ [HDAS].
1963		J. Rechy City of Night 96: Malehustlers (‘fruithustlers’/‘studhustlers’: the various names for the masculine young vagrants).
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Mama Black Widow 214: Until I died or some fruit hustler killed me.
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 107: He looked more like a rock musician or a high-priced fruit hustler.
1985		J. Irwin Jail 109: And the fruit-hustler had only to take one look at that bad news nigger to know it was time to go pushin.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 96: ‘He’s also been known to fruit hustle’.

(US prison) a homosexual.

1986

J. Ellroy Silent Terror 67: If a ‘fruit jockey’ made a sexual advance toward you, ‘wail on his head’ [...] because if you didn’t ‘put him straight,’ you would acquire a ‘fruit jacket.’.

(US gay) semen.

1972

B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.

see separate entries.

1. (US gay) an ostensibly heterosexual man who enjoys homosexual encounters.

1965

Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 17: fruit picker (n.): Term used to describe men who both think of themselves as ‘straight’ and who are so considered by those who know them, but who seek out homosexuals for sexual gratification at the moment.

2. (US gay) one who blackmails or robs homosexuals.

1972

B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 87: fruit-picker one who blackmails or robs homosexuals.

(US) a male homosexual.

1995–2003

P. Kidd ‘Words for Gay Men’ on Buggery.org 🌐 fruit-plate fruitcake fruiter.

(US) a thug who specializes in mugging or beating up homosexuals; thus fruit-rolling n.

1985		J. Wambaugh Secrets of Harry Bright (1986) 31: Hiram had been in a gay bar trying to expand the family business to include fruit-rolling.
2003		J. Ellroy ‘Stephanie’ Destination: Morgue! (2004) 62: Fruit rollers, fruit teasers, high-school fruitettes.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 200: They rolled elderly fruits.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 82: One stat-rape conviction [...] Subsequent fruit-roller busts.

(US gay) a place to find male homosexual prostitutes.

1965		Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 17: fruitstand (n.): A place where hustlers are likely to be found; originally referred to faggot hangouts, but the meaning has shifted from buyer to seller.
1990		(ref. to 1944) A. Bérubé Coming Out Under Fire 55: Ben Small recalled [...] gay trainees ‘kind of migrated to other gays in the barracks, and sometimes it would be referred to as the “fruit corner” or the “fruit salad”’.
2003		K. Cage Gayle.

see fruit tank under tank n.²

see nutcase n.

(US) (derog.) a passive homosexual man.

1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 75/1: Fruit for the monkeys. (Very contemptuous when not uttered in callous bantering) So loose morally as to be the eager passive subject of anyone’s advances.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 155: If his roomy (cellmate) is overtly aggressive, the boy is said to be fruit for the monkey[s].

(N.Z.) homosexual men who frequent smart urban bars.

2003

McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 82: fruits in suits Gay or homosexual bar patrons in urban areas in new millennium.

a general term of affectionate address.

1920		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘The Reformed Pub’ Sporting Times 17 July 1/3: That’s the stuff to give ’em, Grits, old fruit.
1924		O.O. McIntyre New York Day by Day 24 July [synd. col.] An English actor with his checkered trousers and seal brown vest — the old tin of fruit.
1930		‘Leslie Charteris’ Enter the Saint 110: See you to-morrow, ole fruit, ’cos we’re not going home till the morning.
1963		N. Dunn Up the Junction 79: All right, old fruit?
1968		D. O’Grady A Bottle of Sandwiches 198: Well – luck, old fruit. See you.
1976		L. Dawson The Spy Who Came... 74: ‘Well done, old fruit’.
1998		K. Sampson Awaydays 129: Steady on old fruit. That stuff’s opiated. Take it easy.
2000		P. Temple Dead Point (2008) [ebook] Get back to you, old fruit.
2001		P. McCabe Emerald Germs of Ireland 315: ’Fraid not, old fruit. Mother is sacred.

(gay) an ageing male homosexual.

1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.
1979		Maledicta III:2 222: Even the British [despise] everyone (as Auntie Mame put it) ‘somewhere between 40 and death’ as overripe fruit, elderberries, geriatricks (a UK term punning on US trick = short-time sex partner).
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 157: In the homosexual world, the term has been elaborated on in various ways, e.g., [...] overripe fruit (a gay who is past his prime).

(US gay) a masculine homosexual.

1965

Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 34: passion fruit (n.): A Hollywood term which refers to a particularly masculine but definitely homosexual male; almost a term of praise.

(US gay) someone who is just discovering their homosexuality.

1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 172: ripe fruit latent homosexual who is easing into gay life.
1988		H. Max Gay (S)language.

the vagina.

1811		Lex. Balatronicum n.p.: fruitful vine A woman’s private parts, i.e. that has flowers every month, and bears fruit in nine months.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

see separate entries.

1. ‘easy money’, esp. as won while gambling.

1953		T.A.G. Hungerford Riverslake 128: The poor dopes who came back week after week to buy the fruit for his sideboard.
1966		J. Holledge Great Aust. Gamble 88: Kerr started the now well-worn cliché: ‘More fruit for the sideboard.’ It was a famous trademark expression he shouted when taking a bet from a mug punter on a horse he personally felt had no chance in the race.
1982		N. Keesing Lily on the Dustbin 98: Few would seriously dispute a person’s right to ‘put a bit of fruit on the sideboard’ by taking advantage of ‘perks’ considered legitimate.

2. (also fruit on the sideboard) a person who is seen as a source of ‘easy money’.

1968

A. Buzo Norm and Ahmed (1973) 8: Some of our blokes were easy pickings for those bastards. Fruit on the sideboard.