Similes

[Ralf]

Similes compare things which are alike in some respect, although they may be different in their general nature. We use similes to attach a certain quality to people or situations. Grandpa is as fit as a fiddle, Joe as cool as a cucumber and my bird as light as a feather. Burnt chips are as black as soot, Bud Light beer as week as water, and a joke can be as old as the hills.

And then there are similes that are usually used to associate people's characteristics with an animal. You can be as calm as a cat, blind as a bat or pissed as a rat (very drunk). And surely M. is as mad as a March hare in a field full of carrots.

What are your favourite similes? And do make any comparisons that are only used in your 'neck of the woods'?
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[Yankee]

Hi Ralf

An expression I'm quite fond of is "finer than frog hair". My fiance (who hailed from Oklahoma) used to use that one all the time -- instead of just saying "wonderful" or "great".
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[prezbucky]

Now it seems (watching TV interviews of Hollywood folks) that the new buzzword is "amazing".

"How was the sandwich at Monkey Stewart's, Angelina?"

"Oh, like, it was just really amazing!"

[Ralf]

[Ralf]

[prezbucky]

no, probably more like:

"That sandwich was as amazing as a nuclear detonation as seen from the moon."

hehe

[lost_soul]

It's as easy as falling off a log

[Yankee]

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I'm familiar with most of the similes on this list:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/36400.html
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Yankee]

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I've also heard "as phony as a three-dollar bill" -- and I guess that simile is in use pretty much everywhere in the US.

And there are a variety of ways that people finish this sentence:
"That's about as subtle as (a) ___________ ."
(Of course, the usual ending of that sentence is something that is anything but subtle.)
Maybe we could have some fun thinking up endings for that one.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[prezbucky]

Down here it's "as queer as a three-dollar bill"

no offense intended -- that's just how folks say it here... though I think here they're using "queer" to mean "phony", more or less.

[lost_soul]

[lost_soul]

[prezbucky]

yah, that's why I added the disclaimer

[Yankee]

Hi Alex

You could make that even less subtle if it involved a whole herd of elephants.

This is one of the more "interesting" variations I've heard:
"That's about as subtle as a fart in a flower shop."

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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Ralf]