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Apples and oranges...

Posted by SR on January 29, 2004

In Reply to: Apples and oranges... posted by Brian from Shawnee on January 29, 2004

: : : :
: : : : Hi, guys. I'm writing this post from Japan.

: : : : I've got a question about the phrase
: : : : "apples and oranges" I run across that phrase
: : : : very often, but I don't get the meaning.

: : : : Could anybody help me with this expression?
: : : : when, and why people say like that as an answer to other people's saying. and what does that mean?

: : : The whole phrase is: "You can't compare apples and oranges." Or: "You're trying to compare apples and oranges."

: : : I can't think of a good example right now. But I'm sure one of the other Phrase Folk will have one.

: : : Fruit is fruit. Apples and oranges are fruit, but an apple is not an orange. "A" may equal "C", "B" may equal "C" but "A" does not equal "B". An illogical conclusion drawn from similar logical facts...

: Wait a minute, now. Mathematically, if A = C and B = C, then A = B.

: You can't bring mathematical equations into a discussion of fruit. Why, that would be like comparing apples to oranges!

Exactly! But not quite six of one and a half dozen of the other.

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