# Are you fond of saying Apples and Oranges can't be compared? Listen up, dumbshit! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 22, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290 "2004-07-22T02:52:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/21 "2004-07-22T07:31:43Z")
I prefer to say “It’s like comparing Ooples to Ba-noo-noos” _you have to know the song_ ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/22 "2004-07-22T10:15:53Z")
I like this rant. It is original, and makes an excellent point. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/23 "2004-07-22T11:37:21Z")
But you can’t make pie out of oranges. When come back, bring apple pie. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/24 "2004-07-22T11:47:49Z")
[Orange Pie](http://www.donogh.com/cooking/desserts/mandarin.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/25 "2004-07-22T11:57:27Z")
[Hare pie!](http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/recipes/game/harepie.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/26 "2004-07-22T12:23:49Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Very well. I move that we change the phrase to “you cannot _equate_ apples and oranges”. Agreed. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/27 "2004-07-22T12:30:33Z")
Orange [Tang Pie.](http://southernfood.about.com/library/rec03/bl30628c.htm) I’ve never tried this, but a friend claims that it is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/28 "2004-07-22T12:48:36Z")
Certainly a biological relation between apples and oranges can be described in scientific terms, as above. However, oranges are round, and orange. Apples are not quite so round, and (typically) red. Glad we could help clear up this lingering problem. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/29 "2004-07-22T12:51:47Z")
Not all apples are typically red. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/30 "2004-07-22T13:05:45Z")
If Life gives you Apples, make Orangeade. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/31 "2004-07-22T13:25:15Z")
Apples grow on trees. Oranges? I’ve never seen an orange tree in my entire life. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/32 "2004-07-22T13:39:26Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > I prefer to say “It’s like comparing Ooples to Ba-noo-noos” > > _you have to know the song_ No, no we don’t have to know the song. In fact I would prefer to NOT know the song :eek: 😕😕😕 ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/33 "2004-07-22T13:48:16Z")
If we are going to do away with “apple and oranges” because of situations in which they can be compared, we need to get rid of other expressions that don’t hold literally true 100% of the time. **The early bird gets the worm.** A falisy. Many, if not most, birds do not eat worms. Therefore, the earliest bird will frequently be a non worm eater, leaving the worm to be devoured by a later bird. **When in Rome, do as the Romans.** That’s just bad advice. “when in Rome do as the Italians” might work, but the Romans have been gone for 1500 years or so and the Italians are not going to like it if you walk around their capital city talking about invading Germany. **A stitch in time saves nine.** Never mind nine _what_, the concept of using a needle and thread on space-time violates everything we know about Relativity and Quantum mechanics. I suspect the expression stems from a misuderstanding of string theory. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/34 "2004-07-22T13:51:48Z")
Um, it means that a stitch in time (before damage becomes worse) saves nine stitches later… But wait a minute, I’ve been whooshed, haven’t I? […bucket of slime pours onto my head…] ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/35 "2004-07-22T13:59:07Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > It would be like going to the hardware store and opting to buy a hammer instead of a screwdriver because it’s of better quality and value - if you need a screwdriver, then a hammer isn’t going to suffice. You might buy _both_, but you can’t chose to take the hammer instead of the screwdriver because it’s not able to do what you want it to do. You just have to check out the screwdrivers and chose the one that represents the best quality and/or value in the range. Tell me you’ve never used a hammer to drive in a screw. Or the handle of a screwdriver to drive in a nail. Sorry, you fail to convince me. ---
**Author:** ![smam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@smam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smam)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/36 "2004-07-22T14:06:44Z")
Just got off the phone from the well-established MC Mr. Jimmy Tarbuck. Although he’s worked with a lot of fruits in his time he says he’s never had a paying gig off either an apple or an orange. For 10 points, I guess what he’s trying to say is …? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/37 "2004-07-22T14:08:50Z")
> [@Peregrine](#): > > I thought it might be helpful to include an actual [comparison of apples and oranges](http://www.improbable.com/airchives/paperair/volume1/v1i3/air-1-3-apples.html), done by Scott A. Sandford of the NASA Ames Research Center. > > Sandford’s conclusion: > “Not only was this comparison easy to make, but it is apparent from the figure that apples and oranges are very similar. Thus, it would appear that the comparing apples and oranges defense should no longer be considered valid.” LOL. Saved that link for future use. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/38 "2004-07-22T15:09:56Z")
Huh. I always thought the phrase was, “You’re comparing apples and oranges,” or “You’re talking about apples and oranges,” i.e. you are considering two things that are dissimilar in some way that is important to the discussion. I mean, _obviously_ you _can_ compare them. To say that you _can’t_ is just stupid. ---
**Author:** ![smam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@smam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smam)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/39 "2004-07-22T16:35:12Z")
> [@smam](#): > > For 10 points, I guess what he’s trying to say is …? “Apples and oranges can’t be compered.” 🆒😛 erm yeah. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290/40 "2004-07-22T16:59:31Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > Apples grow on trees. Oranges? I’ve never seen an orange tree in my entire life. Uh, yeah, you wouldn’t growing up there in the frozen North. But down South where was meant to live? 🙂 Oranges grow on trees; never seen an apple outside of the Piggly-Wiggly… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fond-of-saying-apples-and-oranges-cant-be-compared-listen-up-dumbshit/256290.md?page=3)