speak the same language

speak the same language

To share and/or understand one another's opinions, values, beliefs, tastes, etc. Likened to literally speaking the same language as another person and therefore being able to communicate fluently. A: "I say we stop here and get some ice cream." B: "You and I are speaking the same language." Bill and my dad are getting along very well together. They're both obsessed with hockey, so they speak the same language.
See also: language, same, speak
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

speak the same language

 
1. Lit. [for two or more people] to communicate in a shared language. These two people don't speak the same language and need an interpreter.
2. Fig. [for people] to have similar ideas, tastes, etc. Jane and Jack get along very well. They really speak the same language about almost everything. Bob and his father didn't speak the same language when it comes to politics.
See also: language, same, speak
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

speak the same language

Understand one another very well, agree with each other, as in Negotiations went on for days, but finally both sides realized they weren't speaking the same language . This term, alluding to literal understanding of spoken words, dates from the late 1800s.
See also: language, same, speak
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

speak the same language

If people speak the same language, they have the same views about things or want to achieve the same things. Like Castle, Wilson had been brought up in a similar way, and they spoke the same language. We have to make sure that the seller and the customer are both speaking the same language.
See also: language, same, speak
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

speak the same language

understand one another as a result of shared opinions and values.
1990 New Age Journal I translate between Greenpeace-speak and record industry-speak, because the two groups just don't speak the same language.
See also: language, same, speak
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

speak/talk the same/a different ˈlanguage

share/not share ideas, experiences, opinions, etc., that make real communication or understanding possible: Unions and managers are at last beginning to speak the same language. Artists and scientists simply talk a different language.
See also: different, language, same, speak, talk
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

speak the same language, to

To understand one another perfectly. Figuratively, this term dates from the late nineteenth century. Joseph Conrad used it in Victory (1915): “You seem to be a morbid, senseless sort of bandit. We don’t speak the same language.” See also on the same page.
See also: same, speak
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • speak the same language, to
  • speak/talk the same/a different language
  • under the thumb of (someone)
  • under thumb
  • under (one's) thumb
  • under somebody's thumb
  • under someone’s thumb
  • under someone's thumb
  • broom closet
  • closet
References in periodicals archive
Then we should not consider anyone inferior or bad just they do not speak the same language as we speak.
"Our findings indicate that although patients' language proficiency is important to health care quality ratings, what may matter more is when patient and provider speak the same language," the study's authors wrote.
Deva said: "The national fabric unravels if we don't speak the same language. That will lead to ghettos."
How much more ridiculous is nationalism in small country like ours where we all speak the same language, few of us can do the jig and scars are the usually the result of one member of the tribe carving another because of the colour of his football scarf.
In the past two months, there have been seven construction deaths in New York City, all at non-union sites and, Coletti said, "several of them involved communication problems where people couldn't speak the same language."
IT1-Bridging the Cultural Gap Between IT and Automation: How the ISA S95 Standard Enables People to Speak the Same Language Marc Leroux, ABB Inc
Paul can have fellowship with them because they are in spiritual unity with him; they speak the same language.
The world's sport is played in every nook and cranny, and soccer coaches speak the same language. We all cry when our team scores and is scored upon.
"We don't necessarily assign a staff person to a resident because they speak the same language but we do use staff members as a resource when necessary, says Guildermann.
But with no business connections to speak of, "it was hard to knock on industry's door if you didn't speak the same language," Mercier says.
"I work with Jeanne because we speak the same language," Dendy said of his fellow Graham veteran.
You desperately want to convey to someone that the new medication the doctor has prescribed for you seems to be making you dizzy and nauseous, but you can't tell anyone because you don't speak the same language as any of the nurses or nurse assistants - or, for that matter, anyone in the entire facility.
Even when negotiators and subjects speak the same language, a great deal of room for error still exists.
Antonio Torroni, a geneticist at Emory University in Atlanta, and his colleagues identified the presence or absence of 14 mitochondrial DNA sequences among members of seven Central American Indian tribes that speak the same language. They next calculated the rate at which these random genetic variations occurred, based on estimates that the tribes diverged from a single group between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago.
Canada's proximity to the United States is important, as well as the fact that they share the same time zones and speak the same language. Because of political stability, it's a safe place to invest and there are some price advantages compared to the United States.