My wife from Wisconsin and her family use the phase "it's a horse apiece". This is used in place of something like "it doesn't matter either way" or "both are the same". Where does this come from?
Learn English – the origin of the phrase “it’s a horse apiece”
etymology
Best Answer
It dates at least from the late 19th century, as found in the St. Paul (Minnesota) Daily Globe (March 27, 1893):
For some background, the article says 'Workhouse' Kelly was a nearly 60-year-old Irishman who had lived in St. Paul for the previous 20 years, spending 90 days to six months of each year in the workhouse. He had been a sailor in the US navy in the 1850s and was "full of yarns".
The other two uses I found in Chronicling America are both from the Rock Island (Illinois) Argus. First from May 31, 1899 describing two baseball teams as appearing equal before a match:
Second from April 18, 1904, also describing two baseball teams:
The Word Detective, after confirming the phrase isn't "it's a horse of peas", said in 2000:
Tom_MN posted to the A Way with Words Discussion Forum with some geographical boundaries: