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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
It's the same difference
In the movie "Once Upon A Time In America", there's a scene in the back of a pub in which the character Deborah says something like: "You can pray here, too. Here or in the synagogue. To God, it's the same difference."
That last phrase ("it's the same difference") sounds a little bit odd to me, although I understand what she's saying. If I would have said/written that piece of dialogue, I would have used "it's the same thing" or "there's no difference". (On the other hand, I'm no literary genious.)
Had it been said in a Swedish conversation, a nit-picker would pick on it. Would that happen in English as well?
jouni maho
That last phrase ("it's the same difference") sounds a little bit odd to me, although I understand what she's saying. If I would have said/written that piece of dialogue, I would have used "it's the same thing" or "there's no difference". (On the other hand, I'm no literary genious.)
Had it been said in a Swedish conversation, a nit-picker would pick on it. Would that happen in English as well?
jouni maho
Top answer
[nq:1]In the movie "Once Upon A Time In America", there's a scene in the back of a pub in which ... it been said in a Swedish conversation, a nit-picker would pick on it. [/nq] It's a colloquialism not to be used in formal writing.
- [nq:1]In the movie "Once Upon A Time In America", there's a scene in the back of a pub in which ...
- it been said in a Swedish conversation, a nit-picker would pick on it.
- [/nq] It's a colloquialism not to be used in formal writing.
- com/opus731 / I speak English well I learn it from a book!
- Manuel (Fawlty Towers)
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28 Answers
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[nq:1]In the movie "Once Upon A Time In America", there's a scene in the back of a pub in which ... it been said in a Swedish conversation, a nit-picker would pick on it. Would that happen in English as well?[/nq]
It's a colloquialism not to be used in formal writing.
Skitt (in SF Bay Area)
It's a colloquialism not to be used in formal writing.
Skitt (in SF Bay Area)
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Okay, so this one time? In band camp? Skitt was all, like:
[nq:2]That last phrase ("it's the same difference") sounds a little ... no difference". (On the other hand, I'm no literary genious.)[/nq]
[nq:1]It's a colloquialism not to be used in formal writing.[/nq]
A well-established colloquialism though...slightly more rustic would be "it don't make me no never mind" (where the obligato
[nq:2]That last phrase ("it's the same difference") sounds a little ... no difference". (On the other hand, I'm no literary genious.)[/nq]
[nq:1]It's a colloquialism not to be used in formal writing.[/nq]
A well-established colloquialism though...slightly more rustic would be "it don't make me no never mind" (where the obligato
00
[nq:1]Okay, so this one time? In band camp? Skitt was all, like:[/nq]
[nq:2]It's a colloquialism not to be used in formal writing.[/nq]
[nq:1]A well-established colloquialism though...slightly more rustic would be "it don't make me no never mind" (where the obligatory triple negative ... writer had stuck it or something similar into an earlier show and the cast decided to tease him about i
[nq:2]It's a colloquialism not to be used in formal writing.[/nq]
[nq:1]A well-established colloquialism though...slightly more rustic would be "it don't make me no never mind" (where the obligatory triple negative ... writer had stuck it or something similar into an earlier show and the cast decided to tease him about i
00
[nq:2]Okay, so this one time? In band camp? Skitt was ... show and the cast decided to tease him about it..[/nq]
[nq:1]The thing that intrigues me with "it's the same difference" is that "difference" (in that particular context) obviously has changed/lost ... "difference" could be used in other contexts as well. Not being a native English-speaker, I can't think of any, though.[/nq]
I thoug
[nq:1]The thing that intrigues me with "it's the same difference" is that "difference" (in that particular context) obviously has changed/lost ... "difference" could be used in other contexts as well. Not being a native English-speaker, I can't think of any, though.[/nq]
I thoug
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[nq:1]In the movie "Once Upon A Time In America", there's a scene in the back of a pub in which ... it been said in a Swedish conversation, a nit-picker would pick on it. Would that happen in English as well?[/nq]
When I hear "same difference", I always think of it being the good, colloquial translation of
"mutatis mutandis"
Is "idiomatic" better than "colloquial"?
Rich Ulric
When I hear "same difference", I always think of it being the good, colloquial translation of
"mutatis mutandis"
Is "idiomatic" better than "colloquial"?
Rich Ulric
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[nq:2]In the movie "Once Upon A Time In America", there's ... pick on it. Would that happen in English as well?[/nq]
[nq:1]When I hear "same difference", I always think of it being the good, colloquial translation of "mutatis mutandis" Is "idiomatic" better than "colloquial"?[/nq]
All colloquial speech is idiomatic, but not all idiomatic speech is colloquial: "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!" is idiomat
[nq:1]When I hear "same difference", I always think of it being the good, colloquial translation of "mutatis mutandis" Is "idiomatic" better than "colloquial"?[/nq]
All colloquial speech is idiomatic, but not all idiomatic speech is colloquial: "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!" is idiomat
00
Okay, so this one time? In band camp? Rich Ulrich was all, like:
[nq:1]When I hear "same difference", I always think of it being the good, colloquial translation of "mutatis mutandis" [/nq]
It's more of a reversed version of "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose", I think..r
[nq:1]When I hear "same difference", I always think of it being the good, colloquial translation of "mutatis mutandis" [/nq]
It's more of a reversed version of "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose", I think..r
00
[nq:2]The thing that intrigues me with "it's the same difference" ... being a native English-speaker, I can't think of any, though.[/nq]
[nq:1]I thought of a literal meaning of "same difference." "Difference" can mean the result you get when you subtract one ... or they have the same difference. You could use the idea when two situations both change by a equal amount.[/nq]
I get to use tha
[nq:1]I thought of a literal meaning of "same difference." "Difference" can mean the result you get when you subtract one ... or they have the same difference. You could use the idea when two situations both change by a equal amount.[/nq]
I get to use tha
00
[nq:2]In the movie "Once Upon A Time In America", there's ... no difference". (On the other hand, I'm no literary genious.)[/nq]
That screenplay could have used a literary genius. Even a mere literary intellect. Heck, the input of a literary halfwit could probably have helped to plug some of the larger plot holes.
[nq:2]Had it been said in a Swedish conversation, a nit-picker would pick on
That screenplay could have used a literary genius. Even a mere literary intellect. Heck, the input of a literary halfwit could probably have helped to plug some of the larger plot holes.
[nq:2]Had it been said in a Swedish conversation, a nit-picker would pick on
00
[nq:1]That screenplay could have used a literary genius. Even a mere literary intellect. Heck, the input of a literary halfwit could probably have helped to plug some of the larger plot holes.[/nq]
I wonder, did you see the butchered US version?
For the films US release, Warner Bors cut the film down to 2 hours (from an original length of 3 hours 40 minutes), and re-organized the scenes in
I wonder, did you see the butchered US version?
For the films US release, Warner Bors cut the film down to 2 hours (from an original length of 3 hours 40 minutes), and re-organized the scenes in
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