horse of a different color

noun

An unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.

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Meanings

noun

alternative UK horse of a different colour

  1. USidiomaticAn unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.

    "Against physical danger I am willing to offer myself at any time to your Highness . . . . But to walk straight into jail, with my eyes open, that's a horse of a different color."

    1908, Harold MacGrath, chapter 22, in The Lure of the Mask

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
kettle of fish

Translations

Catalan Això són figues d'un altre paner
  • Això són figues d'un altre panerunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
Dutch andere koek
  • andere koekunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
Finnish aivan eri juttu
  • aivan eri juttuunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
German ganz andere Sache, völlig andere Geschichte
  • ganz andere Sacheunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
  • völlig andere Geschichteunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
Icelandic allt annað mál, gjörólíkt
  • allt annað málunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
  • gjörólíktunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
  • allt annar handleggurunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
  • annar handleggurunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
  • allt önnur Ellaunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
Polish inna para kaloszy
  • inna para kaloszyunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
Romanian altă mâncare de pește
  • altă mâncare de peșteunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
Russian совсе́м друго́е де́ло
  • совсе́м друго́е де́ло (sovsém drugóje délo)unrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
Spanish eso es harina de otro costal, es otro cantar
  • eso es harina de otro costalunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
  • es otro cantarunrelated or incidentally related matter with different significance
Cite this entry
APA

horse of a different color. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horse%20of%20a%20different%20color

MLA

“horse of a different color.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horse%20of%20a%20different%20color. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “horse of a different color,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horse%20of%20a%20different%20color.

Source: horse of a different color on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.