IdiomFood & DrinkEnglish

upset the apple cart

Meaning: To disturb the status quo; to shake up the existing situation.

Example: “The new manager upset the apple cart by changing everyone's shifts.”

Origin: Found in English from the late 18th century, first as "upset the cart"; the apples, which spill everywhere, were added later. The picture is of a street seller's neatly stacked cart knocked over, ruining carefully arranged plans.

More English idioms

Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults

Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.

  • Che rompiscatole What an insufferable pest — someone who endlessly pesters and never lets you be.
  • Testa quadrata A rigid, inflexible blockhead who refuses to see beyond their fixed ideas.
  • È un mammone An overgrown man who can't make a decision without his mother — the Italian archetype of…

Browse all compliments & insults →

Keep exploring

Explore all idioms →