as different as chalk and cheese






as different as chalk and cheese

fundamentally different or incompatible – British

The opposition of chalk and cheese hinges on their being totally different in all qualities other than their rather similar appearance.



by a long chalk

by far – British

This expression is based on the old custom of marking up points scored in a game with chalk on a blackboard, as is its opposite not by a long chalk meaning by no means….not at all.



chalk and talk

teaching by traditional methods focusing on the blackboard and presentation by the teacher as opposed to more informal or interactive methods – British



walk the chalk

have your sobriety tested.

A traditional method of ascertaining whether someone is sober or not is to see whether they can walk along a line chalked on the ground without wobbling.




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