Cut from the same cloth
Meaning
To describe two or more people or things that are very similar in character, quality, or origin.
Origin
The phrase draws its vivid imagery from the literal practice of tailoring, a common trade for centuries. When a tailor selected a single bolt of fabric to create multiple garments, each piece, regardless of its eventual style, would inherently possess the exact same weave, dye, and quality. This undeniable material kinship provided a powerful, easily understood metaphor. By the 18th century, the phrase had moved beyond the workshop, becoming a popular way to describe people or things that possessed identical fundamental characteristics or shared the same essential nature, as if molded from the very same original material.
Examples
- The two brothers, both stubborn and fiercely independent, seemed to be cut from the same cloth.
- Despite working for different companies, their management styles were so alike that you'd think they were cut from the same cloth.