[Japanese idioms] どんぐりの背比べ (donguri no seikurabe) – One is no better than the others

Idiom

Meaning

The phrase “どんぐりの背比せいくらべ” (Acorns comparing their heights.) refers to a situation where individuals or things are compared, but there is no significant difference between them.

It implies that competing for superiority is meaningless because none of them stands out.


Example sentence

みんなたようなレベルなので、だれえらんでもどんぐりの背比せいくらべだ。
They are all nearly the same in level, there is no difference whoever we choose.


Author

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