All emperors with no clothes are cut from the same cloth ... "
Hans Christian Andersen
***
What does "the emperor has no clothes" mean?
In many cases people pretend something to be factual even if they are not convinced so that they do not look foolish. This is used by con-artists to sell the most outrageous ideas. For instance 99% of modern art is utter garbage but since art critiques speak so good of it then most people follow the trend. There are dozens of such examples on what today is unlawfully called science and people accept the stupid claims so that they do not look stupid. I know I am going to get burned for this but evolution is such a case.
The expression comes from a story by H.C Andersen about an emperor who ordered clothes. Some con-artists said they could weave clothes that can be seen only by smart people . In reality they pocketed the money and materials and just pretended to weave the clothes. Does that sound familiar? "If you do not agree with us you are too dumb to understand x!" Out of fear of being ridiculed everyone started to admire the inexistant clothes. In the end a child reveals to the crowd that the emperor is actually naked (actually in his underwear but anyway) and everyone realizes the scam. It shows how easy people can be conned by frauds that prey on their fears and insecurities.
***
cut from the same/ different cloth
Also found in: Dictionary.
Related to cut from the same cloth: pick up the slack, same old same old, worse for wear, up to par, tried and tested
cut from the same cloth
Very similar in characteristics or behaviors.
I hate the snow, but my kids just love it—they are definitely cut from the same cloth.
Julia and her mother are cut from the same cloth, as they are both so kind and sweet.
See also: cloth, cut, same
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cut from the same cloth
and made from the same mold
Fig. sharing a lot of similarities; seeming to have been created, reared, or fashioned in the same way. She and her brother are cut from the same cloth. They both tell lies all the time. Father and son are made from the same mold and even sound alike on the telephone.
See also: cloth, cut, same
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
be cut from the same cloth
mainly BRITISH
If two or more people are cut from the same cloth, they are very similar in their character, attitudes, or behaviour. It's often said that London critics are all cut from the same cloth: that they are white, male, middle-aged and middle-class. Note: You can say that people are cut from a different cloth, meaning they are very different. His brother was cut from an altogether different cloth.
See also: cloth, cut, same
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
cut from the same cloth
of the same nature.
1999 Washington Post The last thing a franchise needs is for the two most important men at the top to be cut from the same cloth.
See also: cloth, cut, same
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
be ;cut from the same ;cloth
be very similar in character, quality, experience, etc: Don’t assume all the women in our family are cut from the same cloth.
See also: cloth, cut, same
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
cut from the same cloth
Similar or the same.
See also: cloth, cut, same
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.