“Apples for apples” or “apples to apples” is an English idiom used to compare similar things, while “apples and oranges” refers to an incorrect comparison. The phrase has been used in puns and teaching, and reflects the importance of apples as a commodity in English-speaking cultures. It can also be used to compare abstract ideas.
The English idiom “apples for apples” is used to compare two similar things. English speakers and writers may also use the alternate phrase “apples to apples.” The common phrase is a simple way of describing “like units” of consistency in a traded commodity or other variable.
In an opposing idiom, English speakers can also refer to something that is “apples and oranges.” The opposite meaning applies here. When something is “apples and oranges,” it means an incorrect comparison was made. For example, a car salesman might say “you can’t compare this car to last year’s model. It’s apples and oranges in terms of value.” Here, the speaker is saying that the two vehicles are not comparable which can be a significant statement in negotiations as a major part of car valuation involves comparing similar vehicles.
The phrase “apples for apples” has sparked some popular puns in English-speaking communities dealing with corresponding words or ideas. The phrase can also be useful in teaching, where math or engineering teachers might use it to describe problems that involve changing items in similar units. A teacher might say “if you change x in terms of z and multiply it by the other side of the equation, which is already in terms of z, you get apples times apples.” Similar units are of paramount importance for solving many complex equations.
In general, the phrase “apples for apples” reflects the importance of this fruit as a commodity in the history of the English language. The apple has been associated with life and vitality in many English-speaking cultures. In addition to its place at the front of the alphabet, which results in its use in early education, the apple is also an effective “general commodity” useful for describing generic trades or value-related situations.
Beyond simply describing values for tangible objects, the phrase “apples for apples” can also be used in more abstract ways. For example, a speaker might say, in reference to two city budgets proposed in the same year, that the two are “apples to apples” and compare them as equal units. Even when the object in question does not include value, such as in reference to a municipal policy instead of a budget, the phrase can still be used to compare the two ideas. If the speaker says that two council policies are “apples to apples”, he probably he is trying to say that both policies have similar goals and objectives, or at least do not contradict each other.
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