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Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Brontë are such talented writers. No wonder, they are cut from the same cloth.

To be cut from the same cloth means to be very similar, according to Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, and I wonder, are there any other idioms that could be used to imply not only that they are similar, but that they share genes?

3 Answers 3

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You could say it runs in the family. You can also use the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and similar idioms (via the link) to refer specifically to a child taking after their parent.

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  • One idiom which would almost suit, would be "no wonder, they are of the same blood". But it sounds a bit gooey. If you know of any more relevant idioms, it would be much appreciated. Runs in the family was useful, and I gave it a thumbs up.
    – Gelb
    Dec 18, 2015 at 19:46
  • @Gelb You could also say, "It's in the genes."
    – Lawrence
    Dec 18, 2015 at 23:54
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Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Brontë are such talented writers. No wonder, they are chips off the same block. Ngram

chip off the old block

A person who closely resembles a parent, as in Like her mother, Karen has very little patience-a chip off the old block. This term, with its analogy to a chip of stone or wood that closely resembles the larger block it was cut from, dates from ancient times (Theocritus, Idyls, c. 270 b.c.). In English it was already a proverb by the 17th century, then often put as chip of the old block. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer

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  • - Your answer is perfect. Your idiom 'chips off the same block' employs 'same block', while the idiom cited by OP employs 'same cloth'. Both mean one and same thing. Your answer perfectly meets the query of OP. It's great! Dec 18, 2015 at 4:09
  • @Elian Sorry but I think that idiom means the particular quality is common in both the parent and child. Though OP has told that the people share same genes, it's not necessarily a parent-child relationship. What if the three writers are siblings? In that case, they would still share genes but you cannot use this idiom to describe them. Dec 18, 2015 at 5:23
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You might use the cliched phrase,

(as) alike as (two) peas in a pod
phr. very similar. (The peas in a pod are essentially identical.) The [sisters] are as alike as ... peas in a pod.

(McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions. S.v. "as alike as two peas in a pod." Retrieved December 18 2015 from http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/as+alike+as+two+peas+in+a+pod .)

Usually, but not always, the phrase may specify two peas. It fits as well with three peas, or generally, without mention of how many peas are involved:

Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Brontë are such talented writers. They are as alike as peas in a pod.

I've heard the phrase used alone also, relying on its familiarity and the context to fill in any omitted sense:

"They're very alike, aren't they?"
"Peas in a pod," he replied.

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