tweedledee and tweedledum

Any two people very similar in appearance, manner, or behavior, especially those who are or act particularly oafish or foolish. A reference to the names of two fictional twins in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. It's a wonder we have any nice things at all with tweedledee and tweedledum over there running around the house knocking into everything. Most of the world sees our two countries as tweedledee and tweedledum, but we generally hate being lumped in with our boorish neighbors to the south.

Two matters, persons, or groups that are very much alike, as in Bob says he's not voting in this election because the candidates are tweedledum and tweedledee . This term was invented by John Byrom, who in 1725 made fun of two quarreling composers, Handel and Bononcini, and said there was little difference between their music, since one went "tweedledum" and the other "tweedledee." The term gained further currency when Lewis Carroll used it for two fat little men in Through the Looking-Glass (1872). For a synonym, see six of one, half dozen of the other.

Not much difference between these alternatives; same as six of one and half a dozen of the other. These actually were two names invented by John Byrom, who was satirizing two quarreling schools of musicians. Byrom (and others) claimed there was not much difference between Handel and Bononcini—one’s music went “tweedledum” and the other’s “tweedledee”—and wrote an amusing verse to this effect for the London Journal (June 1725). Lewis Carroll’s use of the names for two fat little men in his Through the Looking-Glass (1872) helped the term to survive.