The phrase isn’t “you can’t compare apples and oranges” it’s “it’s like comparing apples and oranges”. Meaning that what you’re comparing are distinct things with their own merits, and it would be silly to try to declare an objective winner. It basically does mean that apples and oranges aren’t the same.
Never ever have I seen it used in that manner. It’s always used as a thought terminating cliche suggesting that any comparison requires two things to be equal.
So why isn’t the phrase that then?
“Apples and oranges are not the same.”
Because the phrase is very, very old. It didn’t change alongside the change of the meaning of “compare”. I guess it sounded better this way.
The phrase isn’t “you can’t compare apples and oranges” it’s “it’s like comparing apples and oranges”. Meaning that what you’re comparing are distinct things with their own merits, and it would be silly to try to declare an objective winner. It basically does mean that apples and oranges aren’t the same.
Never ever have I seen it used in that manner. It’s always used as a thought terminating cliche suggesting that any comparison requires two things to be equal.
That’s the implication, but saying it doesn’t make it true. It’s up to you to decide if it’s a valid point.