chalk and cheese

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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.

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Chinese Mandarin: 天壤之別 /天壤之别 (tiānrǎngzhībié) — things that are very different
• Dutch: het verschil van dag en nacht — things that are very different
• Finnish: yö ja päivä — things that are very different
• French: le jour et la nuit — things that are very different
• German: Äpfel und Birnen — things that are very different
• German: wie Tag und Nacht — things that are very different
• Japanese: 月とスッピン (tsuki to suppin) — things that are very different
• Polish: niebo i ziemia — things that are very different
• Russian: не́бо и земля́ (nébo i zemljá) — things that are very different
• Russian: не́бо от земли́ (nébo ot zemlí) — things that are very different
• Spanish: parecerse como un huevo a una castaña — things that are very different
• Spanish: como agua y aceite — things that are very different
• Spanish: día y noche — things that are very different