English

Etymology
Probably with reference to the supposed similarity to rotten apples.

Noun
road apples

1. idiom|slang|dated Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.

#*1964, P. S. Martin; and F. W. Sharrock, "Pollen Analysis of Prehistoric Human Feces: A New Approach to Ethnobotany," American Antiquity, vol. 30, no. 2, p. 171,
#*:Samples 7�12 contained coarsely chewed plant material; several closely resembled the "road apples" of horse and burro.

• 2007-09-21 19:03 - WikiPedant - added {{dated}}

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