an apple a day keeps the doctor away

== English == === Etymology === Of British origin; a similar proverb was recorded from Pembrokeshire, Wales, in 1866: “Eat an apple on going to bed, / And you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” However, the idea that apples can cure disease is much older. In the play The Soddered Citizen (first performed c. 1631–1633) by the English author John Clavell (1601–1643), it is suggested that if a person who had heartburn had taken an apple and gone to bed, he would have been cured. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˈn‿æpəl‿ə ˈdeɪ ˈkiːps ðə ˈdɒktəɹ‿əˈweɪ/ (General American) IPA(key): /əˈn‿æpəl‿ə ˈdeɪ ˈkips ðə ˈdɑktɚ əˈweɪ/ Rhymes: -eɪ Hyphenation: an ap‧ple a day keeps the doc‧tor away === Proverb === an apple a day keeps the doctor away Apples are healthy and stave off illnesses. Healthy eating prevents illness. ==== Alternative forms ==== an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay ==== Derived terms ==== an apple a day (by shortening) ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === an apple a day keeps the doctor away on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Gregory Y. Titelman (1996), Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings: […], New York, N.Y.: Random House, →ISBN, page 14. Jennifer Speake, editor (2016), “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, in Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, 6th edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 7.