Same old same old

Posted by R. Berg on July 05, 2009 at 16:11

In Reply to: Same old same old posted by David FG on July 05, 2009 at 07:50:

: : Some one wanted to investigate the origin of the phrase "same old same old". Everyone seems to have gotten it wrong. It originated during the Korean War. American soldiers in foreign lands often try to make indigenous personnel use English phrases. When an American GI wanted a Korean subordinate to do something which was similar to something the Korean has already learned how to do, the American would use the expression "same-o, same-o. GI's returning to the States took the phrase with them but mainstream Americans missed the meaning entirely.

:
: Well, apart from anything else, why would an American use that expression? Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to say, simply, 'same'?

: Why make a perfectly simple, clear word more difficult for another language speaker?

: DFG

DFG, such a usage might originate as part of a pidgin, but I question the explanation on other grounds: "same old same old" would have to be shown to go back as far as the 1950s. I haven't seen it that long, probably no earlier than the 1990s and maybe not before the current decade. ~rb

• Same old same old RRC 05/July/09
• Same old same old David FG 05/July/09
  • Same old same old ESC 05/July/09