Please explain - articles

The saying is the first one.

For some reason, we use "the" with doctor, even when we don't care, don't know, or haven't named which doctor. I would say "You should see the doctor" even if I don't know who your doctor is, or even if you don't have a regular doctor.

Logically, #2 would make sense. #3 might sound like you keep Dr. Smith away, but Dr. Jones and Dr. Brown may still

goat1) An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
2) An apple a day keeps doctors away.
3) An apple a day keeps a doctor away.
Are all the same?

No, they're not all the same because only the first one is the standard saying. Changing even one word of a known and oft-quoted saying basically destroys it.

From the viewpoint of logic, however, 2)

One of the usages of the definite article is to denote categories, abstract things, or classes of things. That's why we say:

"Leonardo da Vinci is the inventor of the bicycle." or
"Boris Rosing is the inventor of the television receiver" 

we don't mean a specific bicycle or tv receiver but, rather, the very ideas and concepts of them. Similarly, "the doctor" im

Ant_222... find the reason behind the usage. And if I can't find it I make it up

[Y]

CJ

CalifJim

Ant_222... find the reason behind the usage. And if I can't find it I make it up

CJ

Well... What can say... Thanks for the correction! But let it not spoil my whole point.

I have searched the internet to find support to my writing, and

Ant_222But let it not spoil my whole point.

I hope you understand that the thumbs up was to praise your point about making up a reason where necessary. That was my main reason for posting. The correction was incidental.

Ant_222Maybe this deserves a separate thread

Yes. Please start a new thread if you want to get into the

CalifJimI hope you understand that the thumbs up was to praise your point about making up a reason where necessary.  That was my main reason for posting.  The correction was incidental.

I thought you meant both this (seriously) and my two errors (jokingly) exactly in what I was talking about. Sounds like one of those "rules":

- Remember to never spli

1) An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

in this sentence ,, we precise a spacific doctor because we used the article "the" and it is the original quote
2) An apple a day keeps doctors away.

however in this one we made it more general by saying doctors that means that eating an apple aday keeps all the known doctors away
3) An apple a day keeps a doctor away.

Thanks for your time and help, Grammar Geek, CalifJim, Ant_222, hadjer

hadjer1) An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
in this sentence ,, we precise a spacific doctor because we used the article "the" and it is the original quote

No, I'm sorry, but this is not correct. We use "the doctor" even when we don't have a specific doctor in mind. Please read the answers from me and CalifJim.