Tantamount

Equivalent in effect or value (adj.)

July in Chicago. Robby and Bobby sit on Robby's stoop watching people walk past them, everyone squinting and sweating. Bobby asks Robby for a dollar and, being a benevolent friend, he obliges.
But Bobby isn't automatically grateful.
"I wanted a dollar," he says.
"I just gave you a dollar," responds Robby.
"No you didn't."
"Yes, I did."
"No. You gave me four quarters."
"Right," Robby nods, "that's a dollar."
"No, that's four quarters."
"Man, four quarters is a freaking dollar."
"Nuh-uh, it isn't," Bobby shakes his head, "it's four freaking quarters."
"Same damn thing," says Robby, sweating.
"I want a soda. Machine on the corner only takes dollars. Not the same thing."
"What're you talking about? I just saw some fat guy putting nickels and dimes in that thing yesterday."
Bobby pauses and reflects on this.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Robby assures him.
Bobby gets up from the stoop, a stain left on the step where he was sitting, and comes back with a cold can of Coke-a-cola. He rubs it against his face and rolls it on the back of his neck.
"So?" Robby asks.
Bobby opens the can and takes a long swig. Then he looks up and scratches his chin with his free hand in playful thought and says,
"You were right. Same damn thing."