The fifth sanctioned fruit-based business expression will be officially launched December 1, according to the US Business Expressions Institute.
“US companies are facing enormous and unprecedented challenges today,” says institute president Eugene Parisi. “Four sayings are simply no longer enough.”
The organization has been working on the expression for the past four months, an effort involving over 600 representatives from businesses across the country. According to sources, the final month was devoted almost entirely to debating the pros and cons of two expressions: “That’s my mother’s pumpkin!” and the one ultimately selected.
Thus, barring any last-minute injunctions, next month business people across America will be officially permitted to say, “Just another pomegranate…”
Parisi will officially launch the expression during a special ceremony at the organization’s headquarters in Fresno, California.
The first fruit saying – “Turning lemons into lemonade” – was introduced in 1972. “Comparing apples to apples” was adopted in 1987, and “Comparing apples to oranges” in 1996. No new fruit-based saying has been launched since 2000’s “Picking the low hanging fruit.”
“For 20 years we were caught up in brainstorming, benchmarking, thinking outside the box, and maximizing synergies,” says Parisi. “Times like these make us realize we need to get back to the basics, and the basics are fruit.”
The Institute now plans to introduce a new saying every two years, and has hired research firm ThinkUp# to explore up to 120 fruits – ranging from the common peach and plum to the more exotic cherimoya and mangosteen.
