Page 157 - English Vocabulary In Use upper intermediet and advance

76 Similes - as...as... I like ...

As ... as... similes are easy to understand. If you see the phrase as dead as a doornail, you
don't need to know what a doornail is, simply that the whole phrase means 'totally dead'.
But, remember, fixed similes are not 'neutral'; they are usually informal/colloquial and often
humorous. So, use them with care, and keep them generally as part of your receptive
vocabulary.
Creating a picture in your mind can often help you remember the simile:

as blind as a bat as thin as a rake as strong as an ox as quiet as a mouse
Some can be remembered as pairs of opposites.
as heavy as lead z as light as a feather as drunk as a lord z as sober as a judge
as black as night z as white as snow
Some can be remembered by sound patterns.
As brown as a berry as good as gold as cool as a cucumber
Some other useful as...as... phrases.
The bed was as hard as iron and I couldn't sleep.
I'll give this plant some water. The soil's as dry as a bone.
He's as mad as a hatter. He crossed the Atlantic in a bathtub.
She told the teacher, as bold as brass, that his lessons were boring.
You'll have to speak up; he's as deaf as a post.
Don't worry. Using the computer's as easy as falling off a log.
She knew the answer as quick as a flash.
When I told him, his face went as red as a beetroot.
Sometimes the second part can change the meaning of the first.
1
The Princess's skin was as white as snow. [beautifully white]
When he saw it, his face went as white as a sheet. [pale with fearlhorror]
The fish was bad and I was as sick as a dog. [vomiting]
She ran off with my money; I felt as sick as a parrot. [bad feeling of
disillusionment/frustration]
Like ...

My plan worked like a dream, and the problem was soon solved.
Be careful the boss doesn't see you; she has eyes like a hawk.
No wonder he's fat. He eats like a horse and drinks like a fish.
Did you sleep well? Yes, thanks, like a log.
Sorry, I forgot to ring him again. I've got a head like a sieve!
The boss is like a bear with a sore head today. [in a very bad temper]
She goes around like a bull in a china shop. [behaving in a very clumsy, insensitive way]
Criticising the government in his presence is like a red rag to a bull. [certain to make
him very angry]

English Vocabulary in Use