Meanings
alternative apples to oranges
- idiomaticpluralplural onlyA comparison of items that, however categorically similar, is inapt; an incompatible analogy, or the items so compared; a disanalogy.
It's apples and oranges. You can't convert square meters to linear inches.
2 more examples
So on the one hand, comparing policing issues in Scotland with what is happening in England may be like comparing apples and oranges.
2014 January 17, Kath Murray, “Stop and search in Scotland: record figures need open debate”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 11 Jun 2022In 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.
2019 June 11, Rory Stewart, “Sustainable Development Goals”, in parliamentary debates (House of Commons), column 592Synonyms: chalk and cheese, day and night, night and day
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA comparison of items that, however categorically similar, is inapt; an incompatible analogy, or the items so compared; a disanalogy.
Translations
Catalan pomes amb peres
- pomes amb peresnon-comparable items
Chinese Mandarin 風馬牛不相及 /风马牛不相及
- 風馬牛不相及 /风马牛不相及 (fēng mǎ niú bù xiāngjí)non-comparable items
Czech hrušky s jablky
- hrušky s jablkynon-comparable items
Dutch appels met peren
- appels met perennon-comparable items
Finnish verrata omenoita päärynöihin
- verrata omenoita päärynöihinnon-comparable items
French mélanger des choux et des carottes, mélanger les torchons et les serviettes
- mélanger des choux et des carottesnon-comparable items
- mélanger les torchons et les serviettesnon-comparable items
- comparer des pommes et des poiresnon-comparable items
German Äpfel und Birnen
- Äpfel und Birnennon-comparable items
Hungarian almát a körtével
- almát a körtévelnon-comparable items
Italian mele e pere, mettere tutto nello stesso calderone
- mele e perenon-comparable items
- mettere tutto nello stesso calderonenon-comparable items
- come il giorno e la nottenon-comparable items
Polish niebo i ziemia
- niebo i ziemianon-comparable items
Portuguese misturar alhos com bugalhos
- misturar alhos com bugalhosnon-comparable items
Romanian compara mere cu pere, compara merele cu perele
- compara mere cu perenon-comparable items
- compara merele cu perelenon-comparable items
Spanish peras y manzanas, peras con manzanas
- peras y manzanasnon-comparable items
- peras con manzanasnon-comparable items
- patatas y apichusnon-comparable items
- no hay punto de comparaciónnon-comparable items
Swedish äpplen och päron
- äpplen och päronnon-comparable items
Turkish elmayla armut
- elmayla armutnon-comparable items
Cite this entry
apples and oranges. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apples%20and%20oranges
“apples and oranges.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apples%20and%20oranges. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apples and oranges,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apples%20and%20oranges.
Source: apples and oranges on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.