Cast in the same mold
Meaning
To be extremely similar in character, appearance, or nature to another person or thing.
Origin
Imagine the ancient foundries, where skilled artisans poured molten metal or plaster into intricate molds. Each time they used the same mold, they created an object identical in every detail, a perfect twin to its predecessor. This literal act of replication, where form and substance were dictated by a single template, gave rise to our modern idiom. By the 18th century, the phrase had flowed from the workshop into everyday language, painting a vivid picture of two people or things so uncannily alike in character or appearance that it seemed they were struck from the very same master pattern, speaking to a shared essence, a blueprint that defines them both.
Examples
- The two brothers were truly cast in the same mold, both sharing a dry wit and an uncanny ability to fix anything mechanical.
- Even though they grew up in different towns, the cousins were cast in the same mold, exhibiting the same stubborn determination as their grandmother.