six of one, half a dozen of the other

English

Proverb

six of one, half a dozen of the other

1. (idiomatic) The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.
2. (idiomatic, of two people) Equally involved; equally responsible

Synonyms

• (the two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent): same difference, six to one, half dozen to another, six and two threes, sixes, tomayto, tomahto, whatever

Translations

two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 半斤八兩, 半斤八两 (zh) (bànjīnbāliǎng)

• Czech: jeden za osmnáct, druhý bez dvou za dvacet
• Finnish: ihan sama (fi)
• French: bonnet blanc, blanc bonnet (fr) (white hat (and) hat that is white.), kif-kif (fr), c’est du pareil au même (fr)
• Hungarian: egyik kutya, másik eb (hu); egyik tizenkilenc, másik egy híján húsz
• Italian: se non è zuppa, è pan bagnato

• Japanese: 五十歩百歩 (ja) (ごじっぽひゃっぽ, gojippo hyappo)
• Macedonian: едно та исто (edno ta isto), не по врат, по шија (ne po vrat, po šija)
• Polish: wart Pac pałaca, a pałac Paca
• Portuguese: trocar seis por meia dúzia
• Russian: что в лоб, что по лбу (što v lób, što pó lbu)
• Scottish Gaelic: bò mhaol odhar agus bò odhar mhaol
• Slovak: jeden za osemnásť, druhý bez dvoch za dvadsať
• Somali: kalabadh
• Swedish: hugget som stucket (sv)

See also

• much of a muchness

References

• "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