Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Preserved but no longer current.
Names invented by John Byrom (1692-1763) to satirize two quarrelling schools of musicians between whom the real difference was negligible. Hence used of people whose persons or opinions — are "as like as two peas." Some say compared to Bononcini That mynheer Handel's but a mnny; Others aver that he to Handel Is scarcely tit to hold a candle. Strange all this difference should be Twixt Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Tweedledum and Tweedledee” mean?
Names invented by John Byrom (1692-1763) to satirize two quarrelling schools of musicians between whom the real difference was negligible. Hence used of people whose persons or opinions — are "as like as two peas." Some say compared to Bononcini That mynheer Handel's but a mnny; Others aver that he to Handel Is scarcely tit to hold a candle. Strange all this difference should be Twixt Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
Is “Tweedledum and Tweedledee” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.