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identical

coconutpalm

Senior Member
Chinese,China
In Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities", the two men falling in love with the same girl are identically the same, but you can still distinguish between them because they have quite different "..."
I'm trying to find a word to say that you can easily tell who is who because they have different background, different experiences and maybe different beliefs and they have different "..." ?
Could you help me?
coconutpalm , I would say something like
"the have identical looks/look identical but you can.... because of the different lives they've led".

If you really need a single word to describe their differences, just use "background", it covers a lot.

(you should wait for some native speakers to give their opinions too 👁 Smile :)
)
ireney said:
I would say something like
"the have identical looks/look identical but you can.... because of the different lives they've led".

I agree with ireney, the above example sounds better than trying to encapsulate the idea in one word.

But if you must only use one word then background works.
Characteristics would fit also.

Cat
Based on your suggestion of "air," could "demeanor" be the word you're looking for?
Tim's "personalities" is my choice. It is more frequently used than "demeanour".

My two sons, although physically alike, have completely different personalities. I have never used "different demeanours"; I imagine Dickens would have done. 👁 Wink ;)





LRV
LRV,
I'm looking for something , something that helps you tell A from B at the first glance. Personalities, um, I think is more inside. Am I right?
Could you please think of another word that you believe is most appropriate?
coconutpalm said:
LRV,
I'm looking for something , something that helps you tell A from B at the first glance. Personalities, um, I think is more inside. Am I right?
Could you please think of another word that you believe is most appropriate?


Hi Coconut Palm,

Yes, personality comes from inside the person and isn't always evident until the person speaks.

I can't really think of anything better than demeanour, but I wonder if "mannerisms" would fit. Mannerisms are easily seen.


LRV
May I suggest a correction to your original sentence?

"are identically the same" is redundant; you are saying the same thing twice. You should say either "are identical" or "are the same", but not both at once.
viera said:
May I suggest a correction to your original sentence?

"are identically the same" is redundant; you are saying the same thing twice. You should say either "are identical" or "are the same", but not both at once.
Thank you for your suggestion!👁 Smile :)

Then being identical means only having the same features?
coconutpalm said:
Thank you for your suggestion!👁 Smile :)

Then being identical means only having the same features?


Strictly speaking, Coconut Palm, identical means exactly the same.

I saw my friend wearing some new shoes. They were identical to the pair I bought last week.

Mrs. Brown has identical twins. I can't tell which one is which, they are so alike!

In your context, identical only means having the same features.



LRV
I just want to point out that "demeanor" and "mannerisms" aren't exactly the same (they're not identical in meaning! 👁 Stick Out Tongue :p
)

"Demeanor" has more to do with the way one carries himself, even without necessarily doing something in particular.

"Mannerisms" has more to do with certain things the person does, and how he does them.

They have different connotations. Choose the one that's more suitable for your context.
aura, bearing, behavior, presence, air, manner

although they looked identical; from their mannerisms (air) you could detect a difference in their personalities.
Wow, it's amazing that you can provide so many words!
I think bearing is probably the word I'm fingding. Yet it's great to learn so many new words.
Thanks again. I really appreciate your help!
bearing is probably good. One had a bearing that was haughty and arrogant while the other had a bearing that conveyed a natural nobility.
I still prefer "demeanor" to "bearing." They mean more or less the same thing but I'd say "demeanor" is a little bit more common.
elroy said:
I still prefer "demeanor" to "bearing." They mean more or less the same thing but I'd say "demeanor" is a little bit more common.
I prefer "bearing" to "demeanor" because I think the former is closer to what I would express in Chiness.
Thanks for your suggestion!
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