🎯 Come to the Same Thing, To
come to the same thing, to - To make no difference. “It all comes to the same thing at the end,” wrote Robert Browning in his evocative poem “Any Wife to Her Husband” (1842), the poignant words of a dying wife concerning the likelihood that her widowed husband will remarry. It is also aptly phrased as “amount to” or “add up to the same thing.”
Related and Similar Terms, Proverbs, and Expressions:
- Six of one, half a dozen of the other: This charmingly numerical idiom means two alternatives are essentially the same.
- Same difference: The ultimate oxymoron, suggesting equality in seemingly different choices.
- Boils down to: Whether reducing a stew or a complicated problem, it ends up the same.
- Potato, potahto: Who cares about pronunciation when the mashed results are equally delicious?
- Tomayto, tomahto: A delightful way to depict minimal importance in the variation of pronunciation.
Synonyms:
- Amount to the same thing: Summarizing two equal consequences.
- Add up to the same thing: Counting out identical results.
- Result in the same outcome: Predictable sameness at the end.
Antonyms:
- Make a world of difference: No, it’s not splitting hairs; this is a monumental distinction.
- Distinguish: Point out the nitty-gritty details that make all the difference.
- Vary significantly: Clearly not one and the same.
Humor-Filled Quotes 💬:
- “In the end, the chicken and egg argument comes to the same thing: breakfast.” – Anonymous
- “Ultimately, usernames and passwords come to the same thing: lost memories.” – Tech Philosopher
Proverbs 🗣️:
- “In the grave, friend and foe sleep side by side.”
Intriguing Literature, Books, Songs, Poetry, and Movies 🎬📚:
- Poem: “Any Wife to Her Husband” by Robert Browning
- Book: “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller, where nothing ever makes a real distinction.
- Song: “Same Old Song and Dance” by Aerosmith, because really, it’s all rock n’ roll.
- Movie: “Groundhog Day” (1993), which teaches that no matter how many times you repeat, it all comes to the same thing.
Inspirational Thought-Provoking Farewell:
May you find the humor in sameness and the beauty in balance, for in the grand tapestry of life, it often all comes to the same thing.
-W. T. Wittywords, 2023-10-01
### Which of these idioms means essentially the same as "come to the same thing"?
- [x] Six of one, half a dozen of the other
- [ ] Flying pigs in the moonlit sky
- [ ] Dancing with mermaids
- [ ] Building castles in the air
> **Explanation:** "Six of one, half a dozen of the other" exactly conveys that two alternatives don't really make a significant difference.
### Which phrase would indicate no significant difference?
- [x] Same difference
- [ ] Apples and giraffes
- [ ] Riding unicorns in dreams
- [ ] Swing dancing in jelly
> **Explanation:** "Same difference" comically implies that there really isn't a noteworthy difference.
### True or False: 'Boils down to the same thing' can be considered a synonym to "come to the same thing."
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True. Both idioms suggest that despite variations, the ultimate result is the same.
