285-Year-Old Lemon Sells for £1,400
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade: A proverb encouraging optimism and resourcefulness in difficult times. It means to turn challenges (the ‘lemons’) into positive outcomes (the ‘lemonade’) through creativity and a positive attitude.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This optimistic proverb usually isn’t used literally, but that’s exactly what happened when a man found a dried-up lemon inside a 19th-century cabinet. He put the cabinet up for sale, and just for fun, he offered the lemon separately. The cabinet sold for just £32, but to his surprise, the lemon was the real treasure. It sold for £1,400.
This lemon was not just any old lemon. It had a special message carved into it. It said, “Given By Mr. P Lu Franchini Nov 4, 1739, to Miss E Baxter.” It was believed to be a romantic gift brought from India to England. Who would have thought that a lemon could be a symbol of love?
But this lemon isn’t the only everyday item to sell for high prices. Justin Timberlake’s half-eaten French toast once sold for £785. And Britney Spears’ chewed bubble gum once went for £10,000! Why ordinary items like these can sell for extraordinary prices is a mystery that only the buyers can explain.
Sample sentences
1. His injury prevented him from running marathons, so he took up swimming instead. He later became a champion. It’s a perfect example of when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
2. After the storm damaged her home, she remodeled it beautifully, really showing that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
3. He used the time during his illness to write a book, proving that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
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Lemon believed to be 285 years old fetches £1,416 at UK auction
