fruit and flowers

Definitions

1. Illicit purchased items such as recreational drugs or prostitutes.
   especially, euphemistic, jargon, plural, plural-only
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fruit, flower.
   plural, plural-only

Examples

“Most journalists I know⟳ are actually rather scrupulous with their expenses – although I do know⟳ of one who tried to pass⟳ off one of their children's birthday parties as a networking opportunity (hats off!). However, I've been thinking of some of the things I might have⟳ been able to claim⟳ myself: getting my driving gloves dry-cleaned, for instance, medicinal single malts, ‘back rubs’ in foreign hotels, or that great music-industry euphemism, ‘fruit and flowers’.”

“Mr Hands was criticised for his robust managerial style, forcing through redundancies and highlighting excessive costs such as the £200,000 spent annually on "fruit and flowers" and £20,000 a month on candles.”

“Don’t be thinking the record⟳ companies are getting all complacent and haemorrhaging all of that new cash on exorbitant executive bonuses, plush new offices and an endless supply⟳ of fruit and flowers though. Oh no. They are investing.”

CEFR level