Comparing Apples to Oranges

Also:
Comparing apples and orange (common),
Comparing apples with oranges
(to be) apples and orange

Meaning of Idiom ‘Comparing Apples to Oranges’

Apples and oranges metaphorically refer to objects or persons that are not alike; things that are quite different even though they may fall into the same category.

When we say two things are apples and oranges or that is comparing apples and oranges, we are saying that two things are completely different and it makes no sense to compare them.

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Usage Notes

As above, apples and oranges refer to two things that are quite different even though they may fall into the same category.

This is important because we usually compare things that seem to be alike because they are of the same type or category, but they may have vastly different characteristics, just as apples and oranges do.

Apples and oranges are both fruit, but they are completely different from one another, with different colors, tastes, and textures.

It would make more sense to compare an apple with a pear, for instance, which has a similar texture, than to an orange.

However, this is not a rule. Any time someone compares things that cannot be compared in a meaningful way, you can refer to this comparison as ‘apples and oranges.’

Avoid using this idiom to simply describe any two things or any two people that are unalike.

This idiom is used when a comparison between two unlike things is being made, not simply to point out that two things are different. For example:

“Tom and Brady are apples and oranges. They never get along.” (Incorrect)

“You are considering both Tom and Brady for this job? They are apples and oranges. They have completely different skill sets and temperaments.” (Correct)

If you just want to say that Tom and Brady are very different, and perhaps frequently in conflict, you might say:

They are like chalk and cheese.
They dance to a different tune.
They are worlds apart.

The word compare is not always used. See examples below.

Examples Of Use

“Comparing his new role to his movie career is like comparing apples and oranges. His new role is a TV sitcom. That’s totally different.”

“A chain restaurant just opened in the neighborhood and is taking some of my business. I realize it’s apples and oranges but I wonder if I can learn anything from them?”

“Comparing these two presidents is like comparing apples and oranges.”

“You’re considering a BMW and a Honda? That’s apples to oranges.”

“Yes, I like fishing but only in freshwater. I don’t enjoy fishing in the ocean as much. It’s apples and oranges.”