chalk and cheese
Said of things that are very different, though possibly superficially alike.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“My brother and I are like chalk and cheese.”
“These two mobile phones look similar, but the software is chalk and cheese.”
“Even though they are twins, their personalities are like chalk and cheese.”
“The two cities are like chalk and cheese, as one is a quiet mountain village and the other is a crowded coastal metropolis.”
“You cannot compare the original movie to the remake because the directing styles are total chalk and cheese.”
“The two business partners were like chalk and cheese, yet their opposing strengths allowed the company to thrive in a competitive market.”
first recorded 14th c. disputed origin
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.
- 01
a little bit of bread and no cheese
Used to represent the song of the yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella).
- 02
big cheese
A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.
- 03
chalk off
To record a score or event, as if on a chalkboard.
- 04
chalk something up to experience
To take a lesson from a bad outcome instead of grieving it.
- 05
chalk up to
To attribute or account for something; to ascribe.
- 06
cheese tax
A portion of cheese given to a domestic animal such as a dog or cat, usually when the cheese is being brought out or prepared for human consumption.
- 07
cheesed off
Annoyed, upset, angry.
- 08
cock cheese
Smegma or dried semen on the glans penis, usually underneath the foreskin.
Last updated August 10, 2026