What Does “Low-Hanging Fruit” Mean?
Low-hanging fruit is the easiest and quickest thing to achieve or obtain; easy to take advantage of; the easiest person(s) to sell something to, to convince of something, or to fool or take advantage of.
“Low-hanging fruit” sometimes refers to being less impressive or desirable than things that are more difficult or take more skill or effort. As well, the idiom often implies that things will be more difficult later.
Sentence Examples
“The legislature is in a shambles right now but there is still some low-hanging fruit, so we are sure we can get a few things done.”
“The teen market is sort of low-hanging fruit for us, especially given the rise of influencer marketing.”
“There is no way, having plucked all the low hanging fruit and found the big reservoirs, that we’re gonna be able to offset a 9% decline rate.” — Collapse (2009)
“One of the best ways to improve your financial situation is to look for the low-hanging fruit in your budget – things you can easily do without.”
“Comedian Ricky Gervais was found dead at age 60 in his home this morning after a massive fire in Los Angeles burned away all low-hanging fruit, which was his only source of sustenance, according to those familiar with the situation.” — Hard Drive.net May 23, 2022 (joke)
“As the new session opens on Wednesday, much of the low-hanging policy fruit promised to voters already has been harvested through reforms to abortion laws, gun control and voting access.” — Politico January 8, 2020
“With enrollments exploding, revenues shrinking and the low-hanging fruit plucked long ago, virtually every state has had to make painful cuts to its Medicaid program during the economic downturn. — The New York Times, December 4, 2010
Origin of Idiom “Low-Hanging Fruit
Used figuratively since at least the first decade of the 1900s, the term low-hanging fruit literally refers to the fruit that grows on the lower branches of a fruit tree, nearest the ground, within easy reach. This fruit can easily be picked first, before the most difficult fruit on the upper branches. Orchard farmers often cull the low-hanging fruit, a relatively easy job, to increase yields on the higher parts of the tree.
Similar Idioms and Related Expressions
Like Shooting Fish in a Barrel: when something is like shooting fish in a barrel, it is extremely easy to do; ridiculously easy.
Turkey Shoot: something astonishingly easy to do, especially a battle, fight, or competition where one side is much stronger.
Like Taking Candy From a Baby: extremely easy to do; too easy to do; nearly impossible to fail at.
Easy Pickings: people or opportunities that are very simple to take advantage of or cheat; objects that are easy to steal.
Quick Win: a plan, goal, or project that provides great gains with minimal effort, cost, or time.
Child’s Play: something easy to do or accomplish; requiring little cognitive effort or hard work.
No Brainer: something so obviously advantages and easy to accomplish that one does not even need to think about it.
Easy mark/touch: a person who is easily deceived, tricked, or taken advantage of, especially by a conman or swindler.