Fruit (slang) fruit" (and rarely "old tin of fruit") to the 1920s in Britain possibly deriving from the phrase "fruit of the womb". In the United States, however, both "fruit" and "fruitcake" are seen as negative with fruitcake likely originating from "nutty as a fruitcake" (a crazy person). A costermonger was a street seller of fruit and vegetables. The term, which derived from the words "costard" (a type of apple) and "monger", i.e. "seller", came to be particularly associated with the "barrow boys" of London who would sell their produce from a wheelbarrow or wheeled market stall. Costermongers have existed in London
Self Defence Against Fresh Fruit Self Defence Against Fresh Fruit "Self-Defence Against Fresh Fruit" is a Monty Python sketch that appeared in the episode "Owl Stretching Time". It is about an RSM-type instructor who is teaching a class about self-defense, but all he teaches is how to defend oneself against an assailant "armed" with a piece of fresh fruit. The first half or so of the sketch was remade for the Pythons' first feature film, "And Now for Something Completely Different". The teacher (John Cleese) is about to start off his class, but he notices that everyone, save for four students, is absent. He starts