English
Proverb
six of one , half a dozen of the other
( idiomatic ) The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.
( idiomatic , of two people) Equally involved; equally responsible
Synonyms
( the two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent ) : as broad as long , potayto, potahto , same difference , six to one, half dozen to another , six and two threes , sixes , tomayto, tomahto , whatever
Translations
two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent
Catalan: el mateix gos amb diferent collar
Chinese:
Mandarin: 半斤八兩 / 半斤八两 (zh) ( bànjīnbāliǎng ) , 半斤八两 (zh) ( bànjīnbāliǎng ) ( half a catty versus eight taels )
Czech: jeden za osmnáct, druhý bez dvou za dvacet ( the first is eighteen, the latter is twenty minus two )
Dutch: lood om oud ijzer ( lead instead of old iron )
Finnish: kuusi noita ja puoli tusinaa noita toisia , ihan sama (fi)
French: bonnet blanc, blanc bonnet (fr) ( white hat (and) hat that is white ) , kif-kif (fr) , du pareil au même (fr) , ( Belgium ) chou vert et vert chou (fr) ( green cabbage (and) cabbage that is green )
German: Jacke wie Hose (de) ( jacket (is) like trousers ) ; gehüpft wie gesprungen ( hopping (is) like jumping ) ; ein und dasselbe ( one and the same ) ; einerlei (de)
Hungarian: egyik kutya, másik eb (hu) ( one of them is a dog, the other is a hound ) , egyik tizenkilenc, másik egy híján húsz ( one of them is nineteen, the other is one short of twenty ) , egyre megy
Irish: deartháir don sac an mála , is ionann an cás an t-éag agus an bás ( it's all one, the demise and the death )
Italian: se non è zuppa è pan bagnato ( if it is not soup it is soaked bread )
Japanese: 似たり寄ったり ( にたりよったり, nitari yottari )
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Korean: 서로 같다 ( seoro gatda ) , 어슷비슷하다 (ko) ( eoseutbiseuthada ) , 피차일반 (ko) ( pichailban )
Macedonian: едно та исто ( edno ta isto ) , не по врат, по шија ( ne po vrat, po šija )
Polish: wart Pac pałaca, a pałac Paca ( Pac Palace and the Palace of Pac (are) worth (the same) ) , wszystko jedno (pl) , ganc egal (pl) , ganc pomada (pl) , to jedno i to samo , jak go zwał, tak go zwał
Portuguese: trocar seis por meia dúzia
Russian: что в лоб, что по лбу (ru) ( što v lob, što po lbu ) ( that which is in the forehead is on the forehead )
Scottish Gaelic: bò mhaol odhar agus bò odhar mhaol ( a hornless dun cow or a dun hornless cow )
Slovak: jeden za osemnásť, druhý bez dvoch za dvadsať ( the first is eighteen, the latter is twenty minus two )
Somali: kalabadh
Spanish: tres cuartos de lo mismo (es) ( three quarters of the same one ) , el mismo perro con diferente collar (es) ( the same dog with a different collar ) , dar lo mismo
Swedish: hugget som stucket (sv) ( cutting (is) like stinging )
Welsh: chwaer i Mam yw Modryb ( Mum's sister is an aunt ) , chwech o un a hanner dwsin o'r llall yw hi
See also
References
"six of one, half a dozen of the other " The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3rd ed., edited by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., et al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002, →ISBN
"[1] " The Clockmaker, or the Sayings and Doings of Samuel Slick of Slicksville, First Series in 1836
"[2] W.T. Brande, Esq., Analysis of the Inflammable Gaseous Compounds resulting from the Destructive Distillation of Coal and Oil; with some Remarks on their relative Heating and Illuminating Powers, The Edinburgh Gazette, 1820.