Meanings
- New ZealandUKidiomaticuncountableSaid of things that are very different, though possibly superficially alike.
Synonyms: apples and oranges, day and night, night and day
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSaid of things that are very different, though possibly superficially alike.
Origin
Attested in variant form since 1393. The surface of some cheeses, particularly unaged ones, resembles the surface of chalk: white, crumbling, but in substance cheese is much softer than chalk. It is interesting to note that lime chalk and cottage cheese forms a glue-like material used in the restoration of ancient half-timbered houses, perhaps suggesting an alternative original meaning.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 天壤之別 /天壤之别
- 天壤之別 /天壤之别 (tiānrǎngzhībié)things that are very different
Dutch het verschil van dag en nacht
- het verschil van dag en nachtthings that are very different
Finnish yö ja päivä
- yö ja päiväthings that are very different
French le jour et la nuit
- le jour et la nuitthings that are very different
German Äpfel und Birnen, wie Tag und Nacht
- Äpfel und Birnenthings that are very different
- wie Tag und Nachtthings that are very different
Japanese 月とスッピン
- 月とスッピン (tsuki to suppin)things that are very different
Polish niebo i ziemia
- niebo i ziemiathings that are very different
Russian не́бо и земля́, не́бо от земли́
- не́бо и земля́ (nébo i zemljá)things that are very different
- не́бо от земли́ (nébo ot zemlí)things that are very different
Spanish parecerse como un huevo a una castaña, como agua y aceite
- parecerse como un huevo a una castañathings that are very different
- como agua y aceitethings that are very different
- día y nochethings that are very different
Cite this entry
chalk and cheese. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chalk%20and%20cheese
“chalk and cheese.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chalk%20and%20cheese. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chalk and cheese,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chalk%20and%20cheese.
Source: chalk and cheese on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.