apples and oranges

English

Alternative forms

• apples to oranges

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Noun

apples and oranges pl (plural only)

1. (idiomatic) A comparison of items that, however categorically similar, is inapt; an incompatible equation, or the items thus compared.

   It's apples and oranges. You can't convert square meters to linear inches.

   • 2014 January 17, Kath Murray, “Stop and search in Scotland: record figures need open debate”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     So on the one hand, comparing policing issues in Scotland with what is happening in England may be like comparing apples and oranges.

   • 2019 June 11, Rory Stewart, “Sustainable Development Goals”, in parliamentary debates (House of Commons)‎^[2], column 592:

     In comparing Britain with other countries, it is important to remember that we are not comparing like with like; there is an apples and oranges issue.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see apples,‎ and,‎ oranges.

Synonyms

• chalk and cheese
• night and day
• day and night

Antonyms

• apples to apples, apples with apples
• apples to apples, oranges to oranges
• oranges with oranges (rare)

Related terms

• mix apples and oranges

Translations

non-comparable items

• Catalan: pomes amb peres (ca) f pl (literally “apples with pears”)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 風馬牛不相及／风马牛不相及 (zh) (fēng mǎ niú bù xiāngjí)

• Czech: hrušky s jablky
• Dutch: appels met peren pl
• Finnish: verrata omenoita päärynöihin (literally “to compare apples to pears”) (verb)
• French: mélanger des choux et des carottes (fr), mélanger les torchons et les serviettes (fr), comparer des pommes et des poires
• German: Äpfel und Birnen (literally “apples and pears”)
• Greek: άλλα τα μάτια του λαγού κι άλλα της κουκουβάγιας (álla ta mátia tou lagoú ki álla tis koukouvágias, literally “the hare's eyes are one thing and the owl's eyes are another”)
• Hungarian: almát a körtével
• Italian: mele e pere f pl (literally “apples and pears”)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: tirr li kû û das li kû (ku)

• Macedonian: баби и жаби (babi i žabi)
• Polish: dwie różne rzeczy
• Portuguese: misturar alhos com bugalhos (pt) (literally “to mix garlic and galls”)
• Romanian: compara mere cu pere, compara merele cu perele (literally “apples and pears”)
• Russian: му́хи отде́льно, котле́ты отде́льно (ru) (múxi otdélʹno, kotléty otdélʹno, literally “houseflies separately from cutlets/rissoles”)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ба̏бе и жа̏бе, кру̏шке и ја̏буке

  Roman: bȁbe i žȁbe, krȕške i jȁbuke

• Spanish: peras y manzanas f pl (literally “pears and apples”), peras con manzanas (literally “pears with apples”)
• Swedish: äpplen och päron (sv) (literally “apples and pears”)
• Turkish: elmayla armut (literally “apple and pear”)

See also

• coinstantiation (apples and oranges are both fruit)
• like-for-like
• noncomparable, uncomparable