You can't compare apples and oranges because oranges are such a superior fruit that they are in a different league from apples.
this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2026
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The vagueness of "compare" is the problem here.
If your job is to grade oranges for sale, and an apple hits your line, it will fail completely.
If your job is to grade apple cider for sale, and someone hands you a cup of orange juice, even the best orange juice ever created, you can't give it marks for how good it is as apple cider.
How about comparing apples and liability insurances?
Apples are usually cheaper than insurance and also far more nutritious
Anything can be compared to anything. It's trivial to find some axis they share.
How about comparing dark energy with Graphene OS?
Nerds talk about both, but as far as most people are concerned they're just imaginary concepts?
Fun fact: the German equivalent is with apples and pears which makes even less sense
Apples and pears both give you delicious hard ciders!
So hard, so delicious
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(8 replies)
I disagree with you, but I respect the moxie of comparing apples and oranges and apples and pears.
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(1 replies)
The most reasonable interpretation is that you cannot use the standards of apples on oranges, nor the other way around.
You wouldn't fault an apple because it doesn't have a thick skin that needs peeling.
Maybe, but we have another expression with that meaning. You don't judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree.
I've never heard that expression before, but that's pretty good.
"You shouldn't judge apples as oranges"
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(14 replies)
Bitch that phrase don't make no sense, why can't fruit be compared?
-Lil Dicky
I've heard the dicky don't get little if you use it enough to not atrophy.
Velociraptors and rabbits are both land dwelling creatures, that existed on the planet earth, and both featured in the game Amju pet zoo. Why can't we compare them?!?
Pretty much everything we have knowledge of is linked in some way, the question of the comparison depends on the properties we wish to compare.
"Apples to oranges" is saying "these are two different things, and your comparison is shit".
Spotting differences is also a form of comparison, so the phrase makes no sense at all
Still better than the Portuguese equivalent: "what does the arse[hole] have to do with the pants?" (o que o cu tem a ver com as calças?)
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(3 replies)
Apples make jam, oranges make marmalade. Only apple juice turns tasty when fermenting it.
That's it...
Your компот privileges have been revoked.
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(3 replies)
and this, 🟠, is a tangerine
THANK YOU!! When that analogy was taught to us, we found it profoundly stupid, both are categorized as fruits, both can used to make juices, both grow on trees, both are yummy, what isn’t there to be able to compare?!
We’re wonder what the fuck was going in inside their head while making that analogy.
The phrase is to say two things are not the same, not that they aren't similar.
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(5 replies)
Petition to change the phrase:
'You can't compare apples and tomatoes.'
... now it makes considerably less sense, and also does splash damage against the concept of a vegetable.
10d4 psychic damage in a 20 ft. cube.
... also, said damage cube is comprised entirely of Red40
interpret this as you will, DMs
Preach!
Peach!
French version is "from ass to cock", IE, from donkey to chicken.
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