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Where does "Same Same... but different" comes from?
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alemauro
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Hi!!. I am Argentinian and I don't know where the Same Same... but different comes from... I am in Tailand... and you can see it in every t-shirt on every store!.
Maybe is a movie or a commercial... I don't know...
Jano
#1 Posted: 28/1/2009 - 08:53
Thaiman
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I don't really know the answer to this but it has been around for a long time.I'd hazard a guess that the 'same,same' is pointing out that all Thais have the same traits,charachteristics etc.'But diferent'-they are very subtly different from each other.Perhaps someone else has a different idea....
#2 Posted: 28/1/2009 - 13:57
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brucemoon
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Like Thaiman, the saying seems to have been used 'forever'.
But, many years ago, the saying was 'Same...Same' meaning similar.
When and where the 'But Different' became added eludes me.
cheers
#3 Posted: 28/1/2009 - 16:57
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TheGoose
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My guess would be;
"same, same" is because Thai's often repeat things twice - "boat, boat" "cheap, cheap" and the but different was added by travellers over time as the phrase same, same is often used when comparing things that are totally different.
#4 Posted: 12/4/2009 - 16:42
DLuek
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I don't know but I heard a pretty hilarious conversation recently between a western couple and a Vietnamese guesthouse clerk. The western guy asked the receptionist "What's the weather supposed to be like tomorrow?". Really quickly, she replied, "Same same different today." The guy thought she'd said "same same" only, and he said, "oh, same as today?" His perplexed girlfriend said, "but different?" The receptionist just nodded with a smile... Got to love it.
#5 Posted: 12/4/2009 - 21:54