Page 33 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

(as) hard as stone

(as)ŁhyrdŁas stone Go to (as) hard as a (as)ŁlyrgeŁas life inŁprson;Łactually, and
rock. sàmetimesŁ surprisingly, present at a
place. I thought Jack was away, but
(as)ŁhighŁas a kite and (as)ŁhighŁas the there he was as large as lfe. Jean was not
sky 1. veryŁhigh.Ł The tree grew as high expected to appear, but she turned up large
as a kte. Our płt brd got outside and as lfe.
flłw up high as the sky. 2. drunk or
drugged.Ł Bill drank błer until he got as (as)ŁlØghtŁas a feather of little weight.Ł
high as a kte. The thieves were high as Sally dieted until she was as light as a
the sky on drugs. feather. Of course I can lft the box. It’s
light as a feather.
(as)ŁhighŁas theŁsky Go to (as) high as a
kite. (as)ŁlikelyŁas not pràbably; with an even
chance eitherŁway. He will as likely as
(as)Ł hoarseŁ as a crow hoarse.Ł After not arrive without warning. Likłly as
shouting at the team all afternoon, the not, the game will be canceled.
coach was as hoarse as a crow. JILL: Has as longŁas 1. and so longŁas since; be-
Bob got a cold? JANE: No, he’s alwØys cause.Ł As long as you’re going to the
hoarse as a crow.
bakery, please buy some fresh bread. So
(as)ŁhłtŁas fire veryŁhot; burningŁhot.Ł long as you’re here, please stay for dnner.
I’m afraid Betsy has a high fłver. Her fore- 2. and so longŁas if;ŁonlyŁif.Ł You mØy
head is hot as fire. In the summertime, have dessert so long as you eat all your vłg-
the concrete sidłwalks fłel as hot as fire. etables. You can go out this evłning as
long as you promise to be home by mid-
(as)ŁhłtŁas hell veryŁhot.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁUse night. 3. forŁaŁspecifiedŁlength of time.Ł
caution with hell.) It’s as hot as hell out- You mØy stay out as long as you like. I
side. It must be near 100 degrees. I hate didà’t go to school as long as Bill did. 4. [in
to głt into a car that has been parked in comparisàns]bof equalŁlength.Ł Is this
the sun. It’s hot as hell. one as long as that one? This snake is
(as)ŁhungryŁas a beyr vry hungry. (In- as long as a car!
formal.) I’m as hungry as a bear. I could as luckŁ wouldŁ haveŁ it by good or bad
eat anything! Whenever I jog, I głt hun- luck;ŁasŁit turnedŁout; byŁchance.Ł Ao
gry as a bear. luck would have it, we had a flat tire.
As luck would have it, the check came in
(as)ŁhungryŁas a hunter vry hungry. the mail todØy.
Is there anything to eat? I’ve błen out hoe-
ing my gardłn all morning, and I’m as (as)ŁmadŁas a hatter 1. crazy.Ł(FromŁthe
hungry as a hunter! We’d błtter have a crazyŁcharacterŁcalledŁthe HatterŁinŁLewis
big meal ready by the time Tommy gets Carràll’s Alicł’s Advłntures in Wondłr-
home; he’s always hungry as a hunter af- land.) Poor old John is as mad as a hat-
ter soccłr practice. ter. All these screamng children are
driving me mad as a hatter. 2. angry.
as I expected Go to (just) as I expected. (ThisŁisŁaŁmisundersðandingŁof mad in
the first sense.ŁFolksy.ŁThe first as can be
(as)ŁinnocentŁas a lamb guiltless;Łnaive.
“Hey! You can’t throw me in jail,” cried omiðted.) You make me so angry! I’m as
the robber. “I’m innocłnt as a lamb.” mad as a hatter. John can’t control his
Look at the bØby, as innocłnt as a lamb. temper. He’s always mad as a hatter.
(as)ŁmadŁas a hłrnet angry. You make
as itŁwere asŁone might say.Ł(Sometimes me so angry. I’m as mad as a hornet.
used to qualify an assertion that may not Jane can get mad as a hornet when some-
sound rasonabl.) He carefully con- body criticizes her.
structed, as it were, a huge sandwich.
The Franklns lve in a small, as it were, (as)ŁmadŁas a MarchŁhyre crazy.Ł(From
exquisite house. the name of aŁcharacterŁinŁLewisŁCarroll’s

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