cut from the same cloth

C

cut from the same cloth

Meaning

• share similar qualities.
• possess comparable attributes.
• have aligned values or ideals.
• exhibit a matching temperament.
• come from a shared background.
• were shaped by a mutual experience.
• think or work in parallel ways.
• hold common beliefs.
• differ more in degree than kind.

Example Sentences

1. The new partners were cut from the same cloth—they had innovative ideas and ambitions for growth.
2. While the assistant managers disagreed on style, they were cut from the same cloth in their dedication and hard work.
3. Despite coming from very different backgrounds, the scientists found they were cut from the same cloth in their love of discovery and solving complex problems.
4. The CEO criticized two executives for not being cut from the same cloth, as their management approaches were incompatible.
5. After years of studying together, we realized we were cut from the same cloth and shared many of the same hopes, beliefs, and values.
6. A team is never truly cohesive until its members discover they were cut from the same cloth.

Origin

It originated in the mid-15th century. At that time, the cloth was typically woven wool, linen, or cotton, cut and sewn into garments. When the cloth was woven, it would be cut into bolt lengths that could be cut and sewn into multiple garments.

To say that two people were “cut from the same cloth” meant that they shared similar qualities because the materials used to make their garments came from the same bolt of cloth. The cloth represented the shared characteristics, background, or temperament that joined these individuals.

As clothing production advanced, this phrase took on a metaphorical meaning beyond the literal cloth. The “cloth” represented the figurative materials that shape a person’s nature or abilities. Those who were “cut from the same cloth” possessed qualities that seemed woven from a common thread.

Over time, from the 15th to the 17th centuries, this phrase spread through common English usage. It was employed as an idiomatic expression to convey how two or more people could be alike in their talents, ideals, personalities, or values, as if they shared a mutual “cloth.” Though clothing production changed, the underlying meaning of shared qualities endured.

Clothes, Quality