Change the soup but not the dressing

Change the soup but not the dressing

"Change the soup without changing the dressing" is an idiom. Although the name, shape and picture of metaphor have changed, the actual content is still the same.

Source: Ma Nancun's "Yanshan night talk: articles of any length": "change a large article into several small ones. On the surface, the article seems to be very short, but in fact it's just short, and the content is still different."

essential information

[explanation] although the name and (or) shape and picture of the metaphor have changed, the actual content (or emphasis) is still the same. [source] the third chapter of "he Dian" written by Zhang Nanzhuang in Qing Dynasty: "the doctor saw it, but he still took out two paper bags to change the soup without changing the dressing." [example] after going to a Duan Pai, a Duan Pai comes back, and it's still ~. (Chapter 115 of the romance of the Republic of China)

Idiom information

The water for decocting the medicine has changed, but the prescription has not. Although the name or form of metaphor has changed, the content is still the same. Example of idiom: after going to a Duan Pai, a Duan Pai comes back, but the soup is still changed. (Chapter 115 of the popular romance of the Republic of China by Cai Dongfan and Xu Xianfu)