apples and oranges

apples and oranges

English

Alternative forms

• apples to oranges

Etymology

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Pronunciation

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Noun

apples and oranges pl (plural only)

1. (idiomatic) A comparison of items that, however categorically similar, is inapt; an incompatible equation.

   It's apples and oranges. You can't convert square meters to linear inches.

   • 2014 January 17, Kath Murray, “Stop and search in Scotland: record figures need open debate”, in The Guardian‎:

     So on the one hand, comparing policing issues in Scotland with what is happening in England may be like comparing apples and oranges.

   • 2019 June 11, Rory Stewart, “Sustainable Development Goals”, in parliamentary debates (House of Commons)‎, column 592:

     In comparing Britain with other countries, it is important to remember that we are not comparing like with like; there is an apples and oranges issue.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see apples,‎ and,‎ oranges.

Synonyms

• chalk and cheese
• night and day
• day and night

Antonyms

• apples to apples, apples with apples
• apples to apples, oranges to oranges
• oranges with oranges (rare)

Related terms

• mix apples and oranges

Translations

non-comparable items

Chinese: Mandarin: 风马牛不相及 (zh) Czech: hrušky s jablky Dutch: appels met peren pl Finnish: verrata omenoita päärynöihin (literally “to compare apples to pears”) (verb) French: mélanger des choux et des carottes (fr), mélanger les torchons et les serviettes (fr), comparer des pommes et des poires German: Äpfel und Birnen (literally “apples and pears”) Greek: άλλα τα μάτια του λαγού κι άλλα της κουκουβάγιας (álla ta mátia tou lagoú ki álla tis koukouvágias) Hungarian: almát a körtével Italian: mele e pere f pl (literally “apples and pears”) Kurdish: Northern Kurdish: tirr li kû û das li kû (ku) Portuguese: misturar alhos com bugalhos (pt) (literally “to mix garlic and galls”) Russian: му́хи отде́льно, котле́ты отде́льно (ru) (múxi otdélʹno, kotléty otdélʹno, literally “houseflies separately from cutlets/rissoles”) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: ба̏бе и жа̏бе, кру̏шке и ја̏буке Roman: bȁbe i žȁbe, krȕške i jȁbuke Spanish: peras y manzanas f pl (literally “pears and apples”), peras con manzanas (literally “pears with apples”) Swedish: äpplen och päron (sv) (literally “apples and pears”)

See also

• coinstantiation
• like-for-like