apple-pie order
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Prim and precise order. The origin of this phrase is still doubtful. Perhaps the suggestion made above of nappe- pli (Fr. nappes phees, folded linen, neat as folded linen) is near the mark.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “apple-pie order” mean?
Prim and precise order. The origin of this phrase is still doubtful. Perhaps the suggestion made above of nappe- pli (Fr. nappes phees, folded linen, neat as folded linen) is near the mark.
Is “apple-pie order” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.