There was the following line in December 2nd AP News,
“Chief White House trouble shooter for healthcare gov.web site says
the web site is night and day from where it was October 1st. Jeff
Zients say they carried out hundreds of software and hardware fixes.
I first took “night and day” for “continually,” but later realized it meant the status of web site is compretely different (mproved) from October 1st stage after searching for the definition of “night and day” other than “all the time,” and found it in Online slang dictionary and urbandictionary:
While all major dictionaries only provide ‘all the time” implication, both Slang Dictionary and Urbandictionary provide “completely different” implication as shown below:
Cambridge Dictionaries Online:
night and day (also day and night)
all the time: [ex.] They've worked night and day to publicize their campaign.
Oxford Dictionary:
all the time; constantly: [ex.]She studied night and day
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
all the time: continually
Dictionary com.:
unceasingly; continually: [ex.] She worked night and day until the job was done.
The Online Slang Dictionary:
completely different.
*www.*urbandictionary
A phrase used to describe a stark difference between two things. Similar to day and night, except it implies an improvement of the situation rather than a deterioration.
So my question: Is the usage of ‘night and day” in the meaning of “completely different” popular, or still on the sideline? Because I don’t find it in any of Cambridge / Oxford / Merriam –Webster English Dictinoary.
Best Answer
Yes, it is very common. We (US) say, like night and day to indicate opposites. Google "like night and day" and you'll see the option for idiom. completely different:
Interestingly, "like night and day" gave me hits for many of the dictionaries you listed.
The spokesperson used the idiom abnormally, truncated into an adjective form, instead of as the simile it is.