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

• 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)
• 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

• 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, 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.