Meanings
alternative tomato, tomato · alternative tomayto tomahto
- idiomaticUsed to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.
A: Then you hook the hose up to the bibcock, and you're done. B: You mean the sillcock. A: Tomayto, tomahto.
Synonyms: potayto, potahto
- idiomaticUsed to dismissively suggest that a particular distinction is a distinction without a difference; used to express the assertion that two similar things are effectively the same, despite any trivial difference.
A: Then you revise the database record for that transaction, and you're done. B: You mean you replace the old record with a new one. A: Tomayto, tomahto.
3 more examples
"Tomayto, tomahto," she said, and Taylor laughed. So they ended on a good note.
2009, N. B. Grace, Disney High School Musical: #1: Stories from East High Bind Up #1, Disney Press, →ISBN, page 78“I withheld truth, but I did not lie.” “Tomayto, tomahto.”
2014, C.E. Murphy, Shaman Rises, Harlequin, →ISBN, page 282“Okay, then, how about Michael?” “Tomayto, tomahto.” Kacie sighed in disappointment.
2017, Cheryl Etchison, From the Start: An American Valor Novel, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 15
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseUsed to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.
Origin
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/)".
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian не по врат, а по шия, не е врат, ами шия
- не по врат, а по шия (ne po vrat, a po šija)to suggest a distinction without a difference
- не е врат, ами шия (ne e vrat, ami šija)to suggest a distinction without a difference
Czech prašť jako uhoď
- prašť jako uhoďto suggest a distinction without a difference
Finnish mitä väliä
- mitä väliäto dismiss an alternative standard
French bonnet blanc, blanc bonnet, blanc bonnet, bonnet blanc
- bonnet blanc, blanc bonnetto suggest a distinction without a difference
- blanc bonnet, bonnet blancto suggest a distinction without a difference
German gehüpft wie gesprungen
- gehüpft wie gesprungento suggest a distinction without a difference
Greek όχι Γιάννης, Γιαννάκης
- όχι Γιάννης, Γιαννάκης (óchi Giánnis, Giannákis)to suggest a distinction without a difference
Hungarian egyik kutya, másik eb, egyik tizenkilenc, másik egy híján húsz
- egyik kutya, másik ebto suggest a distinction without a difference
- egyik tizenkilenc, másik egy híján húszto suggest a distinction without a difference
- egyre megyto suggest a distinction without a difference
Persian چه کچل حسن، چه حسن کچل
- چه کچل حسن، چه حسن کچل (če kačal hasan, če hasan kačal)to suggest a distinction without a difference
Polish ziemniaki, kartofle, pyry, jak zwał, tak zwał
- ziemniaki, kartofle, pyryto dismiss an alternative standard
- jak zwał, tak zwałto suggest a distinction without a difference
- jak zwał, tak zwałto express two similar things being exactly the same, when they are slightly different
Portuguese tanto faz como tanto fez
- tanto faz como tanto fezto suggest a distinction without a difference
Russian тво́рог, творо́г, что́ в ло́б, что́ по́ лбу
- тво́рог, творо́г (tvórog, tvoróg)to dismiss an alternative standard
- что́ в ло́б, что́ по́ лбу (štó v lób, štó pó lbu)to suggest a distinction without a difference
Scottish Gaelic bò mhaol odhar agus bò odhar mhaol
- bò mhaol odhar agus bò odhar mhaolto suggest a distinction without a difference
Swedish hipp som happ, hipp som happ
- hipp som happto dismiss an alternative standard
- hipp som happto suggest a distinction without a difference
- hipp som happto express two similar things being exactly the same, when they are slightly different
Ukrainian чи в камінь головою, чи каменем у голову
- чи в камінь головою, чи каменем у голову (čy v kaminʹ holovoju, čy kamenem u holovu)to suggest a distinction without a difference
Cite this entry
tomayto, tomahto. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tomayto%2C%20tomahto
“tomayto, tomahto.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tomayto%2C%20tomahto. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tomayto, tomahto,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tomayto%2C%20tomahto.
Source: tomayto, tomahto on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.