apples and oranges

English

Etymology

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

Alternative forms

• apples to oranges

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

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

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

   Comparing the grades of English students to those of engineering students is like trying to compare apples and oranges.

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

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 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; Äpfel und Birnen vergleichen; Äpfel mit Birnen vergleichen (de)
• Greek: άλλα τα μάτια του λαγού κι άλλα της κουκουβάγιας (álla ta mátia tou lagoú ki álla tis koukouvágias)
• Hungarian: almát a körtével
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: mele e pere f pl
• Kurdish:
• Portuguese: alhos e bugalhos (garlic and galls), alhos com bugalhos (garlic with galls)
• Russian: му́хи отде́льно, котле́ты отде́льно (ru) (múxi otdélʹno, kotléty otdélʹno) (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 (pears and apples), peras con manzanas (pears with apples)
• Swedish: äpplen och päron (apples and pears)

See also

• like-for-like