same difference
A distinction which makes no difference; a distinction which does not matter.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Call it a soda or a pop, it is the same difference.”
“You can walk or take the bus, but it is the same difference since both take twenty minutes.”
“Whether the policy is labeled as a reform or a revision, the public views it as the same difference, given that the underlying issues remain unaddressed.”
A twentieth-century colloquialism formed as a blend of the phrases "same thing" and "no difference."
- 01
make a difference
To carry out an action, the result of which is a significant change, or an altered circumstance.
- 02
make all the difference
To be a crucial or deciding factor; to have a very significant effect (often a positive one).
- 03
split the difference
To choose an option or take a position roughly midway between two opposed alternatives; to compromise.
- 04
what's the difference
(rhetorical question) The difference does not matter; so what?
- 05
world of difference
A great or insurmountable difference.
Last updated August 10, 2026