Chalk and cheese

Posted by Smokey Stover on March 29, 2006

In Reply to: Chalk and cheese Posted by Tina on March 29, 2006

: What does the phrase chalk and cheese mean? And where did it come from?

It's something like apples and oranges in British English, two things not really comparable. Oxford English Dictionary: "[chalk] 6. Phrases. a. Chalk and cheese are opposed in various proverbial expressions as things differing greatly in their qualities or value, though their appearance is not unlike, and their names alliterate.
1393 GOWER Conf. I. 17 Lo, how they feignen chalk for chese. 1541 BARNES Wks. 258 This deffinition agreeth as well with your key, as Chalke and Cheese...." SS