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Same difference or No difference
2

Same difference or No difference

Same difference or No difference

(OP)
People frequently use "same difference" to indicate that two things are comparable when they really mean "no difference"

Examples of correct usage:

"I can discern no difference in taste between the name-brand product and the gereric equivalent."

"The mathmatical expressions '5 - 2 = ' and '6 - 3 = ' have the same difference.

RE: Same difference or No difference

The second statement qualifies for inclusion in Thread1010-88768.

RE: Same difference or No difference

I agree that it's most often misused, but there is a semantic difference between the two.

Same Difference required a third baseline object, and mean that the difference between A and the baseline and is the same as the difference between B and the baseline.  Just as you have shown in your mathematical expression, the third basline object in this case is the number 3.

No difference only requires the two objects being compared, and there are no differences between them just as your taste example of the brand name and generic product.  But with respect to the "taste of chicken", the brand name and generic product have the same difference.

RE: Same difference or No difference

Aren't the words "Same" and "Different (Difference)" mutually exclusive when used in the same phrase.

Although we all know what it means. No Difference is probably the correct way to express this.

Not sure --- just a guess.

ietech

RE: Same difference or No difference

2
I don't see a problem:

No difference: X-Y=0
Same difference ΔX=ΔY

TTFN

RE: Same difference or No difference

I always was under the misconception that same difference sic was just a silly way of saying no differnce because sometimes it is just plain boring to say it the correct way.  sic

But you guys went and got waaay silly.  And thank you soooo much for doing so.  especially stevenal, Cajun, & IRstuff.  Now my tummy muskles hurts real good!

Jesus is THE life,
Leonard

RE: Same difference or No difference

I agree with metman.   

Sometimes it's just more interesting to say it different.  

(Go ahead... just try and tell me I need an adverb at the end of that sentence!)

BTW, what does sic mean?

=====================================
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RE: Same difference or No difference

"sic" means "that's the way I, or he, wrote it, so !"

TTFN

RE: Same difference or No difference

I believe sic is not an acronym, while SIC is.

RE: Same difference or No difference

25362
OK I stand corrected if so be it that you are correct.  Sorry for using or misusing as the case may be.  Once I finally learned what SIC meant somewhere on this forum, I just could not help myself.

I had an employer who liked to mangle peoples' and companys' names and was a peach of a guy.  He bought tons of plastic from Union Carbide among others and always referred to them as Onion Crabide.  One of our co-workers was named Dick Gustin but Jack called him Disgustin and of course David Stanwood was David Standpipe, etc.

Jesus is THE life,
Leonard

RE: Same difference or No difference

Quote (Irstuff):

Same difference ΔX=ΔY

IRstuff is correct. Saying "same difference" is indicating that the difference between two items when compared to a common third is the same. The saying is synonymous with "just as different.'

Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew
"Luck is the residue of design."
Branch Rickey


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RE: Same difference or No difference

What has been said is true in the exposing the meaning of Same Difference and of No Difference, but that does not change the fact that the following statement is true.

"The mathmatical expressions '5 - 2 = ' and '6 - 3 = ' have the same difference."

The result of a subtraction operation is called the difference, and both of the above expressions do have the same difference.

RE: Same difference or No difference

"The result of a subtraction operation is called the difference"

Always a difference, never a product or a sum? Then why tell us twice?

The mathmatical expressions 5 - 2 and 6 - 3 = have the same rusult.

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