the apple of your eye

the apple of (one's) eye

A cherished or favored person. This phrase is thought to be Biblical in origin. My nephew is just the apple of my eye. He has five kids, but his only daughter is clearly the apple of his eye.
See also: apple, eye, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the apple of your eye

If someone is the apple of your eye, you love them very much and are very proud of them. I was the apple of my father's eye. Penny's only son was the apple of her eye. Note: In the past, the pupil in the eye was sometimes called the apple.
See also: apple, eye, of
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

the apple of your eye

a person or thing of whom you are extremely fond and proud.
In Old English, the phrase referred to the pupil of the eye, considered to be a globular solid body; it came to be used as a symbol of something cherished and watched over.
See also: apple, eye, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • apple of
  • apple of eye
  • apple of my eye
  • apple of one's eye
  • the apple of (one's) eye
  • the apple of somebody's eye
  • corn in Egypt
  • get thee behind me
  • millstone
  • nether
References in periodicals archive
Whether you are a sucker for steak, think a Scotch is top notch, or maybe Bramley is the apple of your eye, there's nothing humble about the heart-warming pie.
Meating the needs of families
To keep the apple of your eye in good humor, apply a little apple polish, an extra bit of flattery.
Wit and wisdom: from The old farmer's Almanac, always 'useful, with a pleasant degree of humor'
'When you send the apple of your eye to school this year, we shall the pay the school fee,' stated Sudhesh Giriyan, vice president, Xpress Money.
Xpress Money unveils Philippines promotion
So pop along to Blagdon this weekend and give the apple of your eye a Valentine's day to remember.
Love, and great tasting food, is all you need
By Zoe Chamberlain MAKE your little one the apple of your eye with this selection of gorgeous outfits to keep them looking beautiful this spring.
Cool for kids!
One minute someone is the apple of your eye and you would do anything for them - the next minute you are hoping that they get run over by a combine harvester.
PICK OF THE DAY; Liverpool v Atletico ITV1, 7.30pm
Try to keep the apple of your eye away from fishermen.
Advice for the love & struck: think dating and the flood of emotions that come with courtship are reserved for humans? Think again. Science World's advice column helps animals work out their dating dilemmas
The psychology behind it is that because you're putting such complete and utter trust in the apple of your eye, they'd feel ten times worse than they would have done if they deceive you.
PICK OF THE DAY; Live football Setanta Sports 1, 8pm