There are fagots and fagots (all are not alike).
There are fagots and fagots (all are not alike).
Meaning in plain English
Things sharing a name or outward category may differ in their qualities. Compare the particular examples before treating every member of a group as interchangeable.
Example
A gardener checks two bundles of stakes for strength and suitable lengths instead of choosing solely by their shared label.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The repeated name draws attention to differences hidden by a convenient label. Two bundles can be called the same thing while differing in size, condition or usefulness. The parenthetical source gloss makes the point explicit: they are not all alike. Apply the comparison to the actual qualities needed for a task, rather than to assumptions about people. A category helps organise information, but cannot replace inspecting its members. Similar packaging or a shared description may conceal distinctions that matter when choosing what to use.
When to use it
Use it to encourage comparison within an apparently uniform category.
Keep in mind
The historical term here describes bundles; avoid turning an unfamiliar old word into a label for people.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 27; French section, paragraph 535; source wording: Il y a fagot et fagot.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗