We’ve all done it. Used the peach emoji to refer to our behind. But how did a piece of fruit become the universal symbol of the butt?

Fruit Metaphors Are Old. Like, Really Old.

Long before emojis, people used food, especially fruit, as metaphors for bodies. In 17th and 18th century poetry, peaches symbolized innocence and sensuality at once. Victorian writers used them to hint at desirability without saying the quiet parts out loud. And phrases like “ripe,” “plump,” and “juicy” have been used to describe people, especially women, for centuries.In the American South, calling someone a “peach” was a sweet compliment by the 1800s. Over time, that compliment started to feel a little more physical.

Because let’s face it: peaches have a shape.

Then Came the Emoji

In 2010, Unicode added the peach emoji, intended to represent a literal piece of fruit. But the internet had other plans.

It didn’t take long before users noticed the uncanny resemblance to a human butt. Rounded, subtly split, slightly fuzzy, it was basically an emoji thirst trap. By 2014, the peach emoji was no longer just fruit. It was full-blown butt symbolism.

Apple tried to redesign the peach emoji to look less like a butt, and the internet revolted. Public outrage was swift, memes exploded, and Apple quietly reversed the change. The butt was back.

The peach wasn’t just a fruit anymore. It was a digital wink, a visual euphemism, and a pop culture icon.