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 tomatoes (/təˈmeɪtoʊz/) and I like tomatoes (/təˈmɑːtoʊz/)".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /təˈmeɪtoʊ təˈmɑːtəʊ/

• Audio (AU)

  (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
   • 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

to suggest a distinction without a difference

• 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)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: није шија него врат

  Roman: nije šija nego vrat

• Vietnamese: củ mì củ sắn
• Tunisian Arabic: الحاج موسى، موسى الحاج‎