English [ edit ] Proverb [ edit ] 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 [ edit ]
( 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 [ edit ]
two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent
Chinese:
Mandarin: 半斤八兩 (zh) , 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: 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 pants )
Hungarian: egyik kutya, másik eb (hu) ( one of them is a dog, the other is a barker ) egyik tizenkilenc, másik egy híján húsz ( one of them is nineteen, the other is one less than twenty )
Italian: se non è zuppa è pan bagnato ( if it is not soup it is soaked bread )
Japanese: 五十歩百歩 (ja) (ごじっぽひゃっぽ, gojippo hyappo ) ( fifty steps, a hundred steps )
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 )
See also [ edit ] References [ edit ]
"six of one, half a dozen of the other " The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3th ed., edited by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., et al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002., ISBN 0-618-22647-8
"[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.
