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): 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 (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: 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), quatre trente sous pour une piastre (fr) (Canada) (four quarters for a dollar)
• 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)

• Korean: 서로 같다 (seoro gatda), 어슷비슷하다 (ko) (eoseutbiseuthada), 피차일반 (ko) (pichailban)
• Latvian: cik garš, tik plats
• 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

• much of a muchness
• 50-50, half and half

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.