Our Dwarves Are All the Same/Headscratchers


 * So why are dwarves all the same? Most other fantasy races enjoy considerable variety between settings, but dwarves alone are, basically, a stereotype. Everywhere. Why?
 * Because dwarves are fucking awesome, that's why. They're technologically-advanced Scottish-Viking-Norse-German engineers who drink constantly and kill things with axes and hammers, the two manliest weapons outside of one's fists, and are made up of 50% liver, 50% muscle, 70% beard, and 30% bad math. The only way you can make that more awesome is if they were on fire all the time.
 * Fun fact: one of the weird things inhabiting the outer planes in Dungeons and Dragons is a race called the Azer, who are indeed dwarves made out of fire.
 * I think for the most part the trope title is referring to the fact that, inside a given setting, all the dwarves are nigh-identical (by tradition). They get a fair shake at differentiation between various settings, depending on which elements of "traditional" dwarves one feels like emphasizing, similar to elves.