horse of another/different color, a

horse of a different color

Something completely different or separate, especially in comparison to something else. I've always found math to be easy, but calculus is a horse of a different color.

See also: color, different, horse, of

horse of another color

Something completely different or separate, especially in comparison to something else. I've always found math to be easy, but calculus is a horse of a another color.

See also: another, color, horse, of

(a) horse of another color

 and a horse of a different color

Fig. another matter altogether. I was talking about trees, not bushes. Bushes are a horse of another color. Gambling is not the same as investing in the stock market. It's a horse of a different color.

See also: another, color, horse, of

horse of another/different color, a

A different affair altogether. This term was more or less invented by Shakespeare, who in Twelfth Night (2.3) wrote, “My purpose is, indeed, a horse of that colour,” meaning, my aim is indeed something like that. Eventually this was changed to difference rather than likeness, as in Anthony Trollope’s Last Chronicles of Barset (1867): “What did you think of his wife? That’s a horse of another colour altogether.”

See also: another, different, horse, of