buy a lemon

/baɪ ə ˈlɛmən/
phrasal verb★Intermediate💡 purchase a defective item◆idiom
◆ What It Really Means
To purchase an item that is defective or does not meet expectations despite appearing functional, often leading to disappointment or financial loss.
Literal Meaning
To purchase a citrus fruit.
Literal Breakdown
buyto acquire something in exchange for money+a lemona yellow citrus fruit
◇ Mental Image
The mental picture is of biting into a lemon, expecting sweetness, but tasting sourness instead—a metaphor for being misled by the appearance of an item.
◈ When to Use
Imagine someone buying a used car from a private seller. The car looks fine from the outside, but after a few days, it starts having engine problems. The buyer might say, 'I bought a lemon,' to express their disappointment.
◉ Cultural Note
The phrase became widely used in the 1960s and 1970s in the United States, particularly in the context of automobile sales. It reflects a cultural distrust of used car dealers and the prevalence of 'lemons' in the secondhand market.
informal

to purchase something that turns out to be defective, broken, or worthless despite appearing functional.

I thought I was getting a great deal on that phone, but it was a lemon.

The phone was defective from the start.

She bought a vintage guitar at an auction, only to discover it was a lemon.

The guitar was in poor condition and unplayable.

💡

Commonly used in the context of vehicles, electronics, or secondhand goods.

Collocations

lemon cara car that is defective or unreliableturn out to be a lemonto be revealed as defective or worthless

Related Phrases

sour grapesidiom
pretending to despise something you cannot have
money pitphrase
a situation or item that costs a lot to maintain or repair

💡Pro Tip

Context matters

Use 'buy a lemon' only when referring to defective items, not people or abstract concepts.

⚡Gold Rule

Avoid literal interpretation

The phrase does not involve actual lemons or fruit. It is entirely figurative.

📖Word Origin

The phrase originates from the early 20th century American slang. The term 'lemon' was used to describe something defective or of poor quality, possibly derived from the idea of a fruit that looks good on the outside but is sour inside. By the 1960s, it became associated with automobiles that were sold despite being faulty.

📝Usage Notes

The phrase is informal and primarily used in the context of purchasing used goods, especially cars. It implies that the buyer was misled about the item's condition.

Word Breakdown

buy
to acquire in exchange for money
verb
+
a lemon
a defective or worthless item
noun phrase
English Dictionary