Note: "Six of one" is the name of an episode of Battlestar Galactica (2008), and an early name for the TV show Friends.
On Twitter, several people commented that the idiom six of one, half a dozen of the other sounds unidiomatic, or unnatural, in the quiz question above, and others agreed. Commenting were speakers of British, American, Canadian, and Australian English.
A few also offered alternative forms of the idiom. Given the interest, I decided to explore the phrase a little deeper. Here's a look.
Incidentally, the answer to the quiz question is B, "not interested in vegetables." The sentence was shortened for Twitter. It originally read "Phil raised an open hand and said, 'To me, six of one and half a dozen of the other.' "
Several people commented that D, "having a hard time choosing," works.
Variants
- six of one, (and) half a dozen of the other
- six to one, half a dozen to the other (UK variant?)
- six in one, half a dozen of the other
Definitions
six of one, (and) half a dozen of the other
- Oxford English Dictionary: denoting that there is little or no difference or choice between two (sets of) persons or things.
- Merriam-Webster: used to say that one does not see any real difference between two possible choices.
Examples
Examples from dictionaries:
- Either Route 2 or Long Avenue will get you there—it's six of one, half a dozen of the other. (American Heritage Idioms, Christine Ammer.)
- "Would you rather have pepperoni or sausage on your pizza?" "Eh, six of one, half a dozen of the other." (Farlex Dictionary of Idioms)
- "Should we give her chocolates or flowers?" "I don't know, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other." (https://dictionary.cambridge.org.)
- To me it was six of one and half a dozen of the other. They were both at fault. (CollinsDictionary.com.)
- “Which do you prefer?” “I don't care; it's six of one, half a dozen of the other.” (Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary.)
- 1836 I never knows the children. It's just six of one and half-a-dozen of the other. (OED)
- 1865 ‘What do they say about his chance?’... ‘Six and half-a-dozen, sir.’ (OED)
- 1870 My verdict is, six of one and half a dozen of the other. (OED)
Here's an exchange from the TV show "Will & Grace."
ROSARIO: I'm going to Costco tomorrow. You need anything?
JACK: Socks.ROSARIO: The kind with the ball on the end or the plain tubes?JACK: Sweetie, you choose. It's six of one ...
Notes
The idiom is often shortened to just six of one.
The phrase has made its way into the titles of many works. Lists Wikipedia:
- Six of One, an episode of TV series Battlestar Galactica (2008)
- Six of One (novel), a 1978 novel by Rita Mae Brown
- Six of One, an Appreciation Society of TV series The Prisoner
- Six of One, one of the original names for the TV series Friends (1994-2004)
- Six of One, a character on TV series Tripping the Rift
- Six of One, Half-Dozen of the Other, the US version of the Marillion album A Singles Collection (1992)
- Six of One, Mach One album (1983)
- Six of One, Evan Parker's solo album (1980)
- Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other, Del Reeves album (1967)
- "It's just six of one and half a dozen of the other.", a line from The Pirate by Frederick Marryat (1836)
- "Were I to allot each their shares of illiberality, I should say, there are six of the one and half-a-dozen of the other;", a line from "Romance and Reality" by Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1831)
(C) 2020, by Targets in English.
