Why can't you "compare apples and oranges?"?

Question

It makes no sense to me. Please explain.

My point is that they share enough commonalities to be compared. They are fruits. They have seeds. They have skin. They are sweet and tart. They have juice. They grow on trees. Whoever decided that these two things epytomize all things that are incomparable?

Answer 1

They are completely different fruits.

Answer 2

Compare Apple And Orange

Answer 3

I think it has to do with the outer appearance.

Apples have a golden skin
or red without and white within

An orange has a tangy rind
and its color is distinct
Unless you have an axe to grind
or other gripes than I would think
That if you are not colorblind
the differences are quite unique!

Ha ha! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
Orange you gonna at least smile???

Answer 4

OK, so its like this:
Apples and oranges are two different fruits. One is red and one is orange. Some people say that apples taste better while some people say oranges taste better, neither is better than the other, so you can't compare them.

For example: You can't compare two seperate TV shows.

Answer 5

a=apples
b=oranges

40a+700a+5,000a+2a=5,742a (note: even though they are different

-40+700+5,000+2/green apple, small apple, red apple etc.-

they are still all a/apples)

same with oranges

a and b are totally seperate and can never be switching

apples cannot be oranges...ever...unless they make a weird hybrid or something...opples....aranges...

ANYWAYS...
apples cannot be oranges and oranges cannot be apples
.period.

Answer 6

Let's compare/contrast two apples. One is green, one is red. One has bruises, one doesn't. But they're both apples.

Let's compare/contrast two oranges. One is ripe, one is not ripe. One is large, one is small. But they're both apples.

Let's compare an apple and an orange. One's orange, one's red. They're different.

In other words, they are too different to compare.