Idioms and Phrases In the same manner from generation to generation, as in Kevin decided to run for mayor—like father, like son . This ancient proverb has been stated in English in slightly varying versions since the 1300s, sometimes appearing with a counterpart, like mother, like daughter .

Said when a son shows similarities to his father in mannerisms, interests, behavior, etc. Tommy's headstrong and impatient—like father, like son. A: "My only interest is in making money." B: "Like father, like son, I see."

American Heritage cites this 17th-century variation: “Like father, like son; like mother, like daughter,” from Bibliotheca Scholastica Instructissima (1616), a book of proverbs collected by the English theologian Thomas Draxe.