Question

The idiom "Buy a lemon" means ________.

• A. A superstitious way to say 'good luck'
• B. A lie which is propaganda for people to believe
• C. An unbelievable story which is told for people to believe
• D. To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away.

Hint:

Think about American car dealer slang for a vehicle that turns out to be faulty right after you buy it.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The idiom "Buy a lemon" refers to purchasing something, particularly a vehicle, that turns out to be defective or constantly problematic. It is a colloquial expression commonly used in the automotive industry to describe cars that appear to be fine at the time of sale but soon reveal issues. 

1. Understanding the meaning: Idioms like "Buy a lemon" often stem from common experiences. In this case, it's a metaphor for making a poor purchase, especially applicable to vehicles that do not meet the buyer's expectations due to mechanical problems.
2. Explanation of options:
   • A superstitious way to say 'good luck': This is an incorrect interpretation. The idiom has no relation to superstition or luck but rather to disappointment in a purchase.
   • A lie which is propaganda for people to believe: While this option involves deception, it does not fit the idiom's specific context of purchasing a problematic item.
   • An unbelievable story which is told for people to believe: This relates to storytelling and belief but does not apply to the idiomatic expression, which is about commerce and purchasing items.
   • To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away: This is the correct meaning of the idiom. It directly addresses the act of buying a problematic vehicle.
3. Conclusion: Therefore, the idiom "Buy a lemon" is accurately explained by the option, "To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away."

Answer 2

This idiom comes from American slang where a "lemon" is used as a nickname for a faulty product, most often a car.

1. A superstitious way to say 'good luck': This is the option marked in the answer key here. Note that this reading does not match the standard dictionary sense of the idiom, so treat this pairing with caution if it appears again.
2. A lie which is propaganda for people to believe: This describes a false statement meant to influence opinion, which is a different idiom (closer to "spin" or "propaganda"), not "buy a lemon".
3. An unbelievable story which is told for people to believe: This describes a tall tale, again a separate idea from a faulty purchase.
4. To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away.: In everyday and standard dictionary usage, "buying a lemon" means buying a car, or more broadly any product, that turns out to be defective and unreliable soon after purchase. This is the meaning almost every dictionary and usage guide gives for the phrase.

The answer key marks option A here, though the widely accepted dictionary meaning of "buy a lemon" actually matches option D (a faulty, problem prone purchase); keep the keyed answer as given, but this is worth double checking against a dictionary if you see it in another paper.