Same Difference

Same difference is a contradiction. How can something be the same if it is different? Or how can something be different if it is the same? This is an example of an oxymoron, when two words with opposite meanings are put together to have a different meaning. Actually, same difference means that there is no difference between two things, or that the difference doesn’t matter. For example: Dali was a genius or a madman. It’s the same difference, isn’t it? But I’m not going to talk about oxymorons here. I really want to talk about making comparisons, about similarities and differences.

We say one thing is / does the same + object + as another thing to mean that both things are just like each other:

We’re the same age. She is the same age as me.

He makes the same annoying sound with his throat as my brother.

As you can see, above and below, you can have a noun between the adjectives and the prepositions.

We can also say one thing is similar + to another thing to mean that both things are almost the same:

They’re similar. They’re similar to each other.

He has a similar voice to yours.

This book is similar to her last one.

We can say that one thing is different(ly) + from another thing to mean that both things are not similar:

They’re different. They’re different from each other.

His second movie has a different style from his first one.

This bottle of wine tastes differently from the last one.

However, we can use the opposite make + difference + to an object to mean that something doesn’t matter:

It makes no difference (to me).

What difference does it make (to you)?

It makes all the difference in the world (to me)!

We can also use the expression it’s all the same to somebody to mean that it doesn’t matter to a person:

It’s all the same to me whether we eat Chinese or Mexican.

If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not go to the party.

Or we can simply use the expression all/just the same to change the subject: All the same, I want to go ahead with the project.

Or use the expression Same to you to reply to somebody in the same way: You’re the worst date I’ve ever had. Same to you!

Well, have a nice week! Same to you!