Learn English – the difference between “low-hanging fruit” and “firing fish in a barrel”
differences
Do these two phrases have the same meaning?
Best Answer
Both phrases allude to "something easy to do", but they are used in different contexts, for the most part.
One context for "low hanging fruit" is any discussion of prioritization of tasks, projects, etc. In such a context one often hears of dispatching the "low hanging fruit" first, i.e. giving priority to the easier tasks or projects.
One also comes across the phrase "low-hanging fruit" in something like "all the low-hanging fruit have already been picked", which is a conventional explanation often given for why it is more difficult today than at some earlier time to make a noteworthy contribution in some field of creative activity.
On the other hand "like shooting fish in a barrel" is used as a synonym for "laughably easy to do". Therefore, it is most often used to diminish the apparent merit of some achievement. E.g. A: "She does the Metro's crossword puzzle every day!" B: "The Metro's? *snort* That's like shooting fish in a barrel..." Or "The governor's political gaffes are never-ending, and journalists lost interest in reporting them when they realized it was like shooting fish in a barrel."
There are some contexts in which both phrases can fit, but they carry slightly different connotations. For example, among theoretical physicists one may come across a statement like "In the early days of quantum mechanics, doing research in QM was like shooting fish in a barrel—even second-tier physicists could publish seminal papers. Nowadays, however, it's much harder: all the low-hanging fruit have been picked!"
My understanding is that in contrast is used to, well, contrast two ideas, or compare their differences. This does not imply that either idea is wrong, just that the two are contrasted.
"Kimchi is a Korean dish that is popular among millions. In contrast, many complain that it tastes like rotten cabbage".
The viewpoints are contradictory, but neither is necessarily correct.
On the contrary, however, is used when the writer or speaker wishes to emphasize a negative claim - that is, he brings a viewpoint that is explicitly not accepted, and the phrase is used to bring the alternate option:
"Kimchi's flavor is not rotten and naueseous, as some claim. On the contrary, it is a delightfully playful dish".
Best Answer
Both phrases allude to "something easy to do", but they are used in different contexts, for the most part.
One context for "low hanging fruit" is any discussion of prioritization of tasks, projects, etc. In such a context one often hears of dispatching the "low hanging fruit" first, i.e. giving priority to the easier tasks or projects.
One also comes across the phrase "low-hanging fruit" in something like "all the low-hanging fruit have already been picked", which is a conventional explanation often given for why it is more difficult today than at some earlier time to make a noteworthy contribution in some field of creative activity.
On the other hand "like shooting fish in a barrel" is used as a synonym for "laughably easy to do". Therefore, it is most often used to diminish the apparent merit of some achievement. E.g. A: "She does the Metro's crossword puzzle every day!" B: "The Metro's? *snort* That's like shooting fish in a barrel..." Or "The governor's political gaffes are never-ending, and journalists lost interest in reporting them when they realized it was like shooting fish in a barrel."
There are some contexts in which both phrases can fit, but they carry slightly different connotations. For example, among theoretical physicists one may come across a statement like "In the early days of quantum mechanics, doing research in QM was like shooting fish in a barrel—even second-tier physicists could publish seminal papers. Nowadays, however, it's much harder: all the low-hanging fruit have been picked!"