chalk and cheese
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chalk and cheese
Where it comes from
Attested in variant form since 1393. The surface of some cheeses, particularly unaged ones, resembles the surface of chalk: white, crumbling, but in substance cheese is much softer than chalk. It is interesting to note that lime chalk and cottage cheese forms a glue-like material used in the restoration of ancient half-timbered houses, perhaps suggesting an alternative original meaning.
noun
-
Said of things that are very different, though possibly superficially alike.
Similar: apples and oranges, day and night, night and day
Translations
Every language
noun things that are very different
| Español | parecerse como un huevo a una castaña, como agua y aceite, día y noche |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 月とスッピン tsuki to suppin |
| 中文 | 天壤之別 /天壤之别 tiānrǎngzhībié |
| Français | le jour et la nuit |
| Deutsch | Äpfel und Birnen, wie Tag und Nacht |
| Русский | не́бо и земля́ nébo i zemljá, не́бо от земли́ nébo ot zemlí |
Talk about this word "chalk and cheese." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/chalk%20and%20cheese. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. chalk and cheese. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/chalk%20and%20cheese "chalk and cheese." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/chalk%20and%20cheese.Cite this
@misc{chalk_and_cheese_2026,
title = {chalk and cheese},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/chalk%20and%20cheese},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
