Person 1: Hey, what’s wrong? Person 2 : It’s as dead as a doornail.
Person 1: What is? Person 2: My phone, I dropped it in the bath…
Person 1: Why did you have it in the bath? Person 2: I thought I would just give it a
quick wipe while I was having a soak but it slipped through my fingers, and now, it’s
as clean as a whistle but I can turn the stupid thing on.
Person 1: Come on, I know a little trick. You pop it in a bag of rice and in about 12
hours it will be as right as rain.
Hello everyone, Anna here from English Like A Native. Did that conversation make any sense
to you? As you probably already know, the English language is made up of so many strange
phrases and idioms. In the scene you just saw, there were three similes. A ‘simile’
is a phrase which uses the word ‘like’ or ‘as’ to describe something specific
by comparing it to something else. Let’s have a look again.
Before I continue there are notes available for you to download and keep for future reference.
Simply click on the link below, fill in your details to sign up to my mailing list and
I will send them, and any future notes to you.
Now smilies are often used to be humorous or to add more detail or emphasis. You can
easily create your own similes to describe something…
ANNA: Urghh this cheese is as smelly as old pair of socks. Careful with that Nick it’s
lethal. NICK: This? Nah, it’s about as lethal as
a fart in a spacesuit. It hasn’t been sharpened in months.
Making up your own similes is certainly fun…but we do have a lot of commonly used descriptive
similes. These are basically set phrases used by natives regularly.
And not just in English, descriptive similes can be found in lots of languages, for example,
in Spanish you might hear como pan comido which means as easy as pie, or comer como
una lima which means to eat like a horse. And in French, Belle comme le jour means as
pretty as the day or sourd comme un pot means as deaf as a pot.
Knowing these commonly used phrases is important if you hope to achieve a native level of fluency
in your target language. That’s why you should try to have at least one native model
in your language toolbox. At Lingoda, all of their 1400 teachers are
native level, qualified teachers from different countries, who can teach you local expressions,
slang and culture.
If you are unfamiliar with this fabulous online language school then let me give you a little
insight. I have been studying on and off with Lingoda for many years.
They offer live immersive classes in English, Business English, Spanish, French, and German.
Their flexible online learning platform allows you to mould your learning around your needs.
Take me for example, I am a long term, ad-hoc student of Spanish and German. My hectic,
unpredictable lifestyle means that I cannot commit to a regular schedule. So whenever
I find a spare 60 minutes in my schedule I try to slot in a class, and as Lingoda’s
classes are online and offered 24/7 it’s really easy for me. Personally, I prefer group
classes and as the groups have a maximum of 5 students it means they are never overcrowded.
I hope I am able to commit more time to studying in the new year, and move up to the next level,
claim my certificate to put in my record of achievement. If you are keen to do the same
you can choose from a monthly subscription that gives you lots of flexibility or you
can challenge yourself to a Marathon and potentially earn up to 400 euros cashback.
Interested? Why not take it for a test-drive first. Click on the link below and sign up
for a 7-day free trial. Use my link to get up to 40% off your marathon course or first
month of monthly subscription if you decide to continue. (The link automatically applies
your discount code when signing up for the free trial and will be saved for when you
decide to continue with Lingoda)
Now let’s have a look at 20 commonly used descriptive smilies in English.
1. As blind as a bat We have an adjective sandwich here. The bread is the word ‘as’,
so we have ‘as’ either side of the adjective. Here, the adjective is ‘blind’, meaning
to be visually impaired or unable to see. We would usually put the name of a person
or thing at the beginning of this sentence, followed by our adjective sandwich, followed
by the thing it is being compared to. Confusingly, bats are not actually blind: they have very
small eyes which allow them to see in the dark, but this is an idiom that has been around
for hundreds of years in British English, so even though it doesn’t really make sense,
we understand it to mean ‘very blind’. “Help, I’m as blind as a bat without
my glasses.” 2. As busy as a bee Bees are renowned for
being hard-working animals so to say you are ‘as busy as a bee’ means that you are
working very hard at something or doing many things at once. When listening to similes,
the most important word to note is the adjective. As long as you catch and understand the adjective,
it will be much easier to understand the phrase even if it doesn’t make much sense. “My
little girl Alison has been as busy as a bee with school, homework, football practice and
learning her lines for the school play. I can barely keep up.”
3. As cold as a fish This is a funny one which means to be unemotional. “I really
thought he cared about me, but when I told him I was moving away, he was as cold as a
fish.” 4. As clean as a whistle To be ‘as clean
as a whistle’ means to be very clean. It can be used literally to mean something isn’t
dirty or to describe someone or something that is free of incriminating evidence. “We
had to let him go, we searched him and his bags but he was as clean as a whistle.”
5. As clear as mud This one is a classic example of sarcasm, which is a key element
in British humour. If something is ‘clear’ then it is transparent, like a window, or
easy to read, like the text on the screen. Mud is thick and dark and not clear at all.
If something is ‘as clear as mud’, that means it is very confusing or difficult to
understand. “I’ve been studying algebra for two months already but these equations
are as clear as mud.” 6. As cool as a cucumber To be ‘cool’
in this context means to be calm and relaxed. Cucumbers are typically kept in the fridge
and they are known to be cooling and soothing ingredients. Therefore, to be ‘as cool as
a cucumber’ means to be very calm or relaxed, particularly when this is surprising. “Some
idiot has just ran into the back of our car, made a right mess, I am absolutely fuming
but Gareth, well, he’s as cool as a cucumber.” 7. As dead as a doornail A doornail is completely
lifeless. To be ‘as dead as a doornail’ means to be dead, totally dead. This could
be used literally or in the context of an idea. “The flat-earth movement appears
to be as dead as a doornail.” 8. As fit as a fiddle To say someone or
something is ‘as fit as a fiddle’ means that they are in good condition or health.
“The doctor says I’m as fit as a fiddle and allowed to go back on the pitch.”
9. As fresh as a daisy This can either mean to be fresh and clean or to be full of energy
and enthusiasm. “Little Leo has been off school with the chicken pox but today he’s
turned up as fresh as a daisy…Leila don’t hit Henrietta with the fire engine…sorry
got to go!” 10. As tough as nails A nail is a metal
fixture used in building and attaching things to walls. They’re very strong. If something
or someone is ‘as tough as nails’, then they are very strong and determined. Sometimes
you might also hear the phrase ‘as hard as nails’, which means the same thing. “Justine
has been through so much this year. She lost her cat, she lost her job, she lost her knock-off
Versace handbag, but she still keeps going with a smile on her face. She’s is as tough
as nails that girl.” 11. As good as gold This phrase is often
used to describe children who are very well-behaved. “We had a lovely day on Saturday hanging out with
my parents and Oliver was as good as gold, he loves his grandma.”
12. As mad as a box of frogs This is a silly one. If someone is ‘as mad as a box of frogs’,
then they are crazy. It can be used as a term of endearment or sometimes as a bit of an
insult. This is another one which doesn’t really make sense but it does paint a clear
picture in your imagination. “I love our neighbour - she’s as mad as a box of
frogs and she’s so kind.” 13. As plain as day If something is ‘as
plain as day’ then it is very clear and easy to see or understand. You might also
hear the phrase ‘as clear as day’, which means the same. “She stood there smoking
right outside the hospital door, even though there was a no smoking sign right in front
of her, as plain as day. It’s so disrespectful!” 14. As pleased as Punch To be ‘as pleased
as Punch’ means to be very pleased or happy. ‘Punch’ is a character in a famous puppet
show called ‘Punch and Judy’. Punch is always seen to be very happy when his evil
plans succeed. “If I get the promotion I want then I’ll be as pleased as Punch.”
15. As quiet as a mouse This one simple means to be very very quiet. “I was supposed
to be home over an hour ago. My mother should be asleep by now, so I just need to be as
quiet as a mouse.” 16. As right as rain We’re very used to
rain in the United Kingdom. If it’s raining, it’s normal. To be ‘as right as rain’
means to feel healthy or well again after being unwell, sad or under pressure. “Sorry
I snapped at you earlier, I’m just tired. As soon as I have a good night’s sleep I’ll
be as right as rain.” 17. As sick as a dog This is another one
of those phrases that doesn’t make much sense but most English speakers will instinctively
understand the meaning. To be ‘as sick as a dog’ means to be very unwell, sick and
vomiting. “Poor Angela. She’s not at work today because she’s ill. She’s as sick
as a dog I was told, though I also heard that it was self-inflicted, out late drinking with
colleagues apparently, knocking back tequila until 3 in the morning. But you didn’t hear
that from me, ok? Yeah there’s a nasty flu going around at the moment.”
18. As easy as ABC This phrase is used to emphasise an easy learning process. ‘ABC’
refers to the alphabet. “Is this your first time making cupcakes? Oh wonderful,
well don’t be nervous baking is as easy as ABC.”
19. As flat as a pancake If something is as ‘flat as a pancake’, then it is very
flat and level. “Compared to other countries with huge mountains and volcanoes, most of
England is as flat as a pancake.” 20. As quick as a wink/flash This phrase
can be used to describe something which happens very quickly, just like a wink or a flash. “She
replied to my email as quick as a wink.” And our time together has passed as quick
as a flash. Remember achieving fluency is easier which the motivation and the right
resources. Don’t forget to download your lesson notes and take that free trial with
Lingoda, details in the description.