Word of the week: Apple-knocker

Apple-knocker (noun)
[ap-uh l-nok-er]

While this ain't a common term in Australia and is not listed in the Macquarie Dictionary, it's more used as a colloquial term in the US where it means “an ignorant or unsophisticated person”, like a hillbilly perhaps. There could be a few reasons for this. One is that such a person is so silly they would do something like knock apples out of trees with a stick just for fun, which is a wasteful pastime for many reasons. But also the apple is a symbol of education and if you're an apple-knocker you might eschew education.

To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world of writing, blogging and publishing, check out the podcast.

Browse posts by category
Browse posts by category

Start Writing Fiction

Creative Writing Stage 1

Our most popular writing course. Learn characters, scenes, dialogue and storytelling fundamentals in just five weeks.

Find out more 

Follow a Clear Path

AWC Creative Writing Program

From your first story idea to a polished manuscript, our five-course pathway shows you what to do next.

Explore the program

Build Specific Skills

Fiction Essentials

Strengthen characterisation, dialogue, point of view, scenes, structure, grammar and punctuation with focused short courses.

See all Fiction Essentials

Write for Young Readers

Writing for Children of different ages

Picture books, chapter books, middle grade or YA – discover the course that matches the stories you want to write.

 View children’s writing courses