Hello everybody and welcome back to Catchword, the Q-Lips series, where we teach you idioms, phrasal verbs and expressions that will help your English sound more natural and more fluent.
Joining me today to help me teach this lesson is my co-host, Indiana.
Hey, Indiana, how's it going?
I'm good, Andrew.
My arm is a little bit sore because I just got my flu shot for the year.
So not totally feeling the best, but I would say I'm in a good mood despite that.
How are you doing, Andrew?
I'm doing very well Indiana, and thanks for being a trooper and joining me for this lesson today, even though you have a little bit of a sore arm.
And guys maybe that's a cool expression that we can teach you right off the start of this episode to be a trooper.
Indiana, what does that mean if you're a trooper?
Yeah.
So you're a trooper.
You're such a trooper.
Thanks for being a trooper.
You might say those things when you're trying to praise somebody who has been working on something or going through something that's unpleasant, but they're still doing it.
They're still pulling it off.
They don't quit.
They don't give up.
They just keep moving, keep going forward.
You're a trooper.
Very good.
So guys, there's a fun expression right from the start of this episode.
But actually today we're not talking about trooping or being a trooper.
We're going to talk about something totally different.
Today's episode theme is about comparison.
And we're going to teach you guys two common expressions that we can use when we want to compare two things and talk about how things are actually very different, and these two expressions are apples to oranges and night and day.
So they're very short, quick expressions, but they're really useful in your english And we highly recommend learning them and using them.
And we'll get into this lesson here in just a moment.
But before we do guys, why don't you head on over to our website QLipscom, where you can get the helpful study guide and the interactive transcript for this episode?
Now.
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That will really help you to get the most out of spending some time here with indiana and with me today.
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Let's get started with our lesson.
And we're going to take a look at our first expression, which is...
Apples to oranges, apples to oranges, or sometimes we say it in a longer phrase, which is it's like comparing apples to oranges.
So I guess, Indiana, this is officially the full expression, right?
It's like comparing apples to oranges, but that's so long that many people just cut it down to apples to oranges, right.
But maybe Indiana, you could explain the meaning to us, because this is one of those expressions where it's almost impossible to know what it means just by hearing it or reading it.
We really need the full explanation.
So could you do the honors and give us the definition?
So apples and oranges, if you think of them literally, they're two very, very different fruits.
One of them has a peel. and is a citrus fruit, and the other is an apple, which you get in the fall.
Oranges grow in the winter.
They're very different fruits.
They taste different.
So when you say it's like comparing apples to oranges, you're just saying they're completely different things.
So, for example, if somebody was comparing owning a dog to owning a cat and you felt like owning a dog is nothing like owning a cat, like you have to put so much work into caring for the dog, taking him for walks.
He needs so much more attention and training and a cat is like so much easier.
You feel like I can't even really compare those two pets.
You might say, well, it's apples to oranges.
So we typically say this expression when we're saying you can't even compare these two things.
Like an apple and an orange.
They're both fruit and they're both round and we eat them pretty commonly, but they're totally different in terms of the way they look, the way they taste, etc etc.
So you can't really compare an apple and an orange, even though they're both round fruit.
They're totally different.
Right.
So we can't compare them.
And yeah, I think your example about a dog and a cat is good as well.
They're both pets, but they have totally different personalities and totally different personalities. ways that you need to care for them.
So yeah, you can't really compare owning a dog with owning a cat.
And maybe even Indiana.
A better example would be like owning a parrot versus owning a goldfish or something right.
Like they're both pets that you could keep at home.
But they're totally different, right?
So I think this is often when we use it.
Another example might be comparing a small business to a massive company like Amazon or Apple.
You know one of these huge, huge businesses and just a local neighborhood cafe.
It would be like comparing apples to oranges.
Technically, they're both businesses, but the scale is just so different that we can't compare them.
Or even I've heard some people use it to describe books versus movies.
Like think of Harry Potter.
There's the Harry Potter book and there's a Harry Potter movie.
And comparing them, it's like apples to oranges.
They're totally different with a different purpose in mind.
And it's not really fair often to compare a movie to the book, even though people like to debate right.
What is better?
The book or the movie?
Kind of in the same category but at the end of the day totally, totally different.
We can use this expression like comparing apples to oranges.
I could also imagine you're asking, so what do you think about this big city, like New York City?
How does it compare to a small, small town?
You can't even really compare life in those two different environments, like a small town or a rural village.
It's nothing like a big city, but they're both places you can live.
But yeah, you might say, ah, that's apples to oranges, comparing such kinds of living environments.
LSG
Yeah, Indiana, I like how you just said it there really naturally, right?
That's like apples to oranges.
You can't compare them.
So yeah, you will hear some different variations on how this expression is said.
Guys, like we said, you could say the full sentence.
It's like comparing apples to oranges.
You could shorten it to just apples to oranges, or even that's apples to oranges.
There's a lot of different variations, but the key part is apples to To T Oh.
I should mention as well the spelling T Oh.
It's not the number two.
It's the preposition to and then oranges.
So keep your ears open for these.
And yeah, it's just a great way.
Instead of saying like, a basic response would be to say something like they are totally different.
You can't compare them.
But a very natural, fluent response would be like, oh, it's apples to oranges, right?
You're expressing the same meaning just by using this idiom instead.
So Indiana, I think we've covered all the definition and when to use this expression.
So next, we're going to listen to a couple of example conversations.
Listeners, we have two prepared for you.
And in the first one, we're going to hear two friends comparing different financial situations.
So let's eavesdrop in on their conversation and we'll take a listen.
Here we go.
My friend just bought a huge house in the suburbs.
It really makes me feel like I'm behind in life.
Come on, she's married and she has two incomes.
Yeah, I guess that makes a difference, but I don't know.
It totally does.
You can't even compare that.
It's apples to oranges.
So in this conversation we see a friend complaining, or perhaps just venting a little bit to another friend, that he feels a little bit jealous of somebody he knows who just bought a huge house in the suburbs.
He's feeling like he's not going anywhere in life.
Everybody else is doing better than him.
But the other friend is saying that's not even a fair comparison because she's married.
She has a double income. from her and her partner.
So there's no way you can even compare your life to that person's life.
It's ridiculous to even compare these two situations because they're so different.
That's apples to oranges.
So it's a great way to disagree with the other person or change the direction of the conversation.
That's not a fair comparison.
So that's what this friend is trying to say, to cheer up their other friend about this jealousy or yes, feeling of not being good enough.
I think that's a really good point that we often use this expression when we want to cheer somebody up right.
Like if somebody is complaining about their life situation or especially this kind of situation.
Often when we compare ourselves to others, we often feel like we're behind or other people are doing so well and we're not doing so well.
Like this is really common kind of thing that you might talk about with your friends.
And to cheer your friends up, to make them feel better, you can say, oh, it's apples to oranges.
Like, The situations are totally different.
Although we are all people, all of our situations are totally, totally different in life.
And it's just unfair to compare them.
It's apples to oranges.
Okay, so let's move on to our second example conversation now.
And in this one, Indiana, we're also going to listen to two friends talk and have a conversation.
This time they are chatting about life cooking shows and why food on TV looks better than food that they prepare in their kitchen.
So let's eavesdrop in again and we'll take a listen to this conversation.
Here we go.
I wish I could cook like those people on YouTube.
Their food always looks so perfect.
They've probably made that dish 50 times before filming.
Yeah, and I guess they've got great lighting and editing too, right?
Right.
Comparing your first try to that is apples to oranges.
Okay, so in this example conversation we heard two friends talking about food shows cooking shows on YouTube versus actually cooking in their own kitchen.
And one of the friends was a little bit sad because his cooking and his presentation didn't look as good as a cooking show on YouTube.
So You know if you watch a cooking show on TV, or there are many YouTube channels now which have very, very professional presentations of how to cook.
If you watch one of those, at the end, the result always looks amazing, right?
Their plating is so nice.
It's so beautiful.
The presentation is so nice.
And it just really looks like appetizing, delicious food.
But I know I've had this experience Indiana, and maybe you have had this as well is that when you try to recreate a recipe that you see on TV or see on YouTube, that often it doesn't look quite as appealing.
Maybe the taste is okay, but just the look, the visual is not as great.
So yeah, comparing a professional cooking show with a professional chef and professional lighting and editing compared to your amateur cooking in your home kitchen, it's like apples to oranges.
It's not really fair to compare the two.
Absolutely.
I also notice they're always using the golden hour lighting like that sunset lighting by the window showing their fresh cooked dish.
And it's like the perfect lighting.
And yeah, that's only one time a day.
We can't recreate that.
Some of these YouTube cooking channels actually make me feel depressed because of how perfect their lifestyle looks like.
It'll be a really cute couple cooking in like this perfect European apartment and it's springtime and the golden hour, light is flowing through the window and there's a light breeze blowing the curtains and all of their cooking tools and dishes and everything is perfect.
And yeah Yeah, they really really make it look so nice that it's it's like apples to oranges when you try to cook it in your own kitchen at home.
I totally agree.
Frankly, yeah, comparing your life to social media is apples to oranges.
Yeah, don't do it.
It's bad.
I totally agree.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, let's move on to our second key expression for this lesson.
And we've got another great one that we can use to talk about stark differences.
And here, guys, stark means huge.
So very huge, very noticeable differences between two things.
And this one is, I think, pretty easy to visualize.
It is night and day, night and day.
So Indiana, what does it mean if you compare two things and you say they're like night and day?
What does that mean?
So it could just mean that they are completely different, two very, very different things.
So, going back to the example that I gave earlier, for apples to oranges, You might just say owning a dog and owning a cat, it's night and day.
It's completely different experiences.
But we don't usually necessarily use this as a response in the same way as apples to oranges.
We might just say that on our own and are making our own comparison.
I think these two things are night and day, without it being a response to something somebody else said and you're disagreeing with it.
So that's one important difference with night and day compared to apples to oranges.
But I would also say that night and day we use this one a little bit differently.
When we use it for talking about a really big change or yeah, a change or a difference in something.
So if somebody got a fresh haircut maybe your friend had really long hair and they cut it all off and they look completely different and they look quite beautiful you say oh, it's night and day with the old hair.
It's kind of a backhanded compliment actually.
Yeah, you got to be careful about that one.
Or yeah, let's say, you have a very old house, kind of like mine, and you renovate the whole thing.
You make it look totally new and modern.
The old place and the new place, it's like night and day.
So it's just a completely 180 degree huge change.
I think I often use night and day for this situation where something has changed dramatically.
So that is another key difference with that first expression that we looked at.
Indiana, now that we're talking about this expression, I think I've found an extra layer of nuance here that we should explain.
And I'd love to get your opinion on this as well.
When we say that something is night and day, we're talking about how something has changed and is very different now.
Also, we're saying that it has improved.
So if you're saying your friend has a new haircut and wow, it's like night and day the difference between your old long haircut and your new short bob, something like this, we're kind of saying that the new cut is better than the old style.
Would you agree with that?
Or like when you renovate your home and you're saying, wow, the difference is like night and day.
You're saying that the new renovation now is better than the old one.
It was totally different.
Of course, there's a big change, but it's improved for the better as well.
Would you agree with that?
That little nuance there?
I do.
And another example I had been thinking about was like if somebody was really depressed or having a rough time with their mental health and they started a really great therapy program.
And then now they have a lot of energy, they have self confidence.
It's like, you might say, wow, ever since he started going to therapy, it's like night and day.
He's a new person.
Yeah.
So it's almost always this positive change, something for the better.
I totally agree.
Yeah, I think that's a key nuance here for this one.
So guys, we use this expression then night and day to talk about a change between two states or two things, and now it's incomparable.
You can't really say that it's fair to compare the two because they're just so different now.
I think, Indiana, it's time for us to move on to some example conversations.
So, just like your previous example, here we're going to listen to a conversation between two friends where one friend has really improved, made some good improvement in their lifestyle, feeling healthier lately compared to the past.
So let's eavesdrop in and we'll listen to what they have to say.
Here we go.
You look healthier lately.
Did you change something?
Yeah, thanks.
Well, I cut out alcohol completely and I've started swimming again.
Oh, no wonder.
You seem much more focused and positive.
Yeah, it's like night and day compared to how I felt six months ago.
So in this example conversation we heard two friends chatting and one friend complimented the other friend by saying that they look so much better these days.
They look healthier.
And the reason why this friend is healthier and feeling better than before is because he cut out alcohol.
So he quit drinking alcohol and he started exercising.
He's swimming these days.
So he's comparing his new healthy habits to his old lifestyle and saying it's night and day that you can't compare how he felt six months ago compared to now.
It's just a much better situation presently compared to what it was like in the past.
It's night and day.
It's totally different.
Can't even compare them.
Yeah, I think, Indiana, we use this expression often in this kind of situation, right?
To compare how we feel now compared to how we felt in a previous time in our lives.
Absolutely.
Maybe you started a new job and it's way better than your old job.
Or, yeah, you've moved to a new city and it suits you better.
You feel so much better about your life.
Yeah, these really positive changes, big changes usually.
All right Indiana, let's move on to our second example conversation with this expression night and day.
And in this one we're going to eavesdrop in and listen to two friends talk about a phone upgrade.
A phone upgrade.
So let's do that now.
Here we go.
Hey, is that a new phone you're using?
Yeah, I finally upgraded.
I had the last one for eight years.
The difference is night and day.
Eight years?
Whoa, I could imagine.
You know, your old one was hanging on for dear life.
I was wondering when you were going to upgrade.
I know, right?
This one's faster, the camera's incredible, and the battery actually lasts all day.
All right, in this conversation, we're talking not about a lifestyle change, but an object, a new purchase.
So we can also use night and day when we're talking about, for example, an upgrade to a new phone.
So yeah, I mean, if you're still using the same phone that you've had for like eight years, You could imagine the technology is quite out of date.
The camera is not going to be very good.
And this couple of friends.
They're chatting about the major difference that the friend who bought the phone is experiencing with their new wonderful, brand new phone faster, great camera.
So she says the difference is night and day.
All right, listeners.
So that is going to bring us to the end of this lesson.
Just to recap what we studied, we learned two idiomatic expressions that we use when we're making comparisons.
The first one is apples to oranges.
And we use that when we're saying like, don't even compare two things because they're totally, totally different.
And it's just unfair or a waste of time to even try comparing them.
And the second expression was night and day.
And again we use this when we're comparing two situations like a past lifestyle and a current lifestyle, or an old smartphone and a new smartphone.
And the new situation, the new lifestyle, the new phone, whatever it is, the new one is just so much better that it's just really not a good idea to compare them, because they're totally, totally different.
They're incomparable.
And now guys, we want to turn it over to you.
We would love to have you make some example sentences using these expressions and you can leave those example sentences on our discord community.
It's a great way to be active with your english and to practice what you've studied here with indiana and me today, and we'll put the link to join our discord community in the description for this episode.
It's free for everyone to join And we'll be looking forward to reading your example sentences.
And also if you are a Q-Lips member, we'll be having a discussion class about this episode in the near future.
You can check the class schedule on our website qlipscom, and we'll put a link directly to the class schedule in the description for this episode.
So you can check it out and join us to practice speaking about this topic and some of the things that we've talked about in this episode.
Indiana, thank you so much for your help today with this lesson.
Of course, Andrew.
It was fun.
Yeah.
And everybody, please take care.
We'll catch you in the next episode.
Until then, bye-bye.
Hope to see you in my speaking class.
Bye, guys.
