different as chalk and cheese

English

Some cheeses look superficially like chalk.

The surface of chalk may look like cheese, but it is actually harder than most cheeses.

Alternative forms

• like chalk and cheese

Etymology

Attested in variant form 1393. The surface of some cheeses, particularly unaged ones, looks similar to chalk – white, crumbling – but in substance cheese is much softer than chalk.

Adjective

different as chalk and cheese (not comparable)

1. (Britain, New Zealand, simile) Two things that are different, particularly two things that are superficially alike but very different in substance.
   • 1393, John Gower, Confessio Amantis:

     And thus ful ofte chalk for cheese he changeth with ful littel cost

Synonyms

• apples and oranges

Translations

different

• Dutch: het verschil van dag en nacht n

• Spanish: como agua y aceite

References

• "chalk and cheese", World Wide Words, Michael Quinion