Tweedledum and Tweedledee

American  

[tweed-l-duhm uhn tweed-l-dee] / ˌtwid lˈdʌm ən ˌtwid lˈdi /

plural noun

1. two persons or things nominally different but practically the same; a nearly identical pair.

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Tweedledum and Tweedledee British  

/ ˌtwiːdəlˈdʌm, ˌtwiːdəlˈdiː /

noun

1. any two persons or things that differ only slightly from each other; two of a kind

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Tweedledum and Tweedledee Cultural  

1. Fictional characters from Through the Looking-Glass, by Lewis Carroll. They are pictured as fat twins who are identical in speech, attitude, and appearance.

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tweedledum and tweedledee Idioms  

1. Two matters, persons, or groups that are very much alike, as in Bob says he's not voting in this election because the candidates are tweedledum and tweedledee. This term was invented by John Byrom, who in 1725 made fun of two quarreling composers, Handel and Bononcini, and said there was little difference between their music, since one went “tweedledum” and the other “tweedledee.” The term gained further currency when Lewis Carroll used it for two fat little men in Through the Looking-Glass (1872). For a synonym, see six of one, half dozen of the other.

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Discover More

Figuratively, any two people or positions that have no real differences are said to be “like Tweedledum and Tweedledee.”

Etymology

Origin of Tweedledum and Tweedledee

1715–25; humorous coinage, apparently first applied as nicknames to Giovanni Bononcini and Handel, with reference to their musical rivalry; tweedle

Example Sentences

“We were like Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Gilbert and Sullivan, ham and eggs,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2024

And it’s pretty obvious to us as well that these guys aren’t Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

From Washington Post • Dec. 13, 2021

A new £5 coin featuring Tweedledum and Tweedledee has been launched by The Royal Mint.

From BBC • Aug. 2, 2021

As if it’s not Tweedledum and Tweedledee but an actual choice between two vastly different dramas, two different worlds of outcome and meaning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 22, 2016

Thanks, and Tweedledum and Tweedledee are not likely to make it up.

From Checkmate by Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan