tomayto, tomahto

See also: tomayto tomahto

English

Alternative forms

• tomato, tomato
• tomayto tomahto
• potayto, potahto (from another line in the song)

Etymology

Uses the American English and British English pronunciations of the word tomato. Allusion to George Gershwin's song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off": "You like tomato (/təˈmeɪtə/) and I like tomato (/təˈmɑːtə/)".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /təˈmeɪtoʊ təˈmɑːtoʊ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Phrase

tomayto, tomahto

1. (idiomatic) Used to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.
2. (idiomatic) Used to dismissively suggest that something is a distinction without a difference.
3. (idiomatic) Used to express two similar things being exactly the same, when they are slightly different.
   • 2009, N. B. Grace, Disney High School Musical: #1: Stories from East High Bind Up #1, Disney Press, →ISBN, page 78:

     "Tomayto, tomahto," she said, and Taylor laughed. So they ended on a good note.

   • 2014, C.E. Murphy, Shaman Rises, Harlequin, →ISBN, page 282:

     “I withheld truth, but I did not lie.” “Tomayto, tomahto.”

   • 2017, Cheryl Etchison, From the Start: An American Valor Novel, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 15:

     “Okay, then, how about Michael?” “Tomayto, tomahto.” Kacie sighed in disappointment.

Translations

to dismiss an alternative standard

• Finnish: mitä väliä
• Polish: ziemniaki, kartofle, pyry
• Swedish: hipp som happ (sv)

to suggest a distinction without a difference

• Czech: prašť jako uhoď (literally “beat(ing is) like hit(ting)”)
• French: bonnet blanc, blanc bonnet (fr), blanc bonnet, bonnet blanc
• German: gehüpft wie gesprungen
• Greek: όχι Γιάννης, Γιαννάκης (óchi Giánnis, Giannákis)
• Hungarian: egyik kutya, másik eb (hu), egyik tizenkilenc, másik egy híján húsz (hu), egyre megy
• Polish: jak zwał, tak zwał
• Portuguese: tanto faz como tanto fez
• Russian: что́ в ло́б, что́ по́ лбу (ru) (štó v lób, štó pó lbu)
• Scottish Gaelic: bò mhaol odhar agus bò odhar mhaol
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: није шија него врат

  Roman: nije šija nego vrat

• Swedish: hipp som happ (sv)
• Tunisian Arabic: الحاج موسى، موسى الحاج
• Ukrainian: чи в камінь головою, чи каменем у голову (čy v kamiń holovoju, čy kamenem u holovu)
• Vietnamese: củ mì củ sắn

to express two similar things being exactly the same, when they are slightly different

• Swedish: hipp som happ (sv)