as

as a duck takes to water easily and nat-

urally. (Informal.) She took to singing

just as a duck takes to water. The baby

adapted to bottle-feeding as a duck takes

to water.

as a (general) rule usually; almost always.

He can be found in his office as a gen-

eral rule. As a general rule, Jane plays

golf on Wednesdays. As a rule, things

tend to get less busy after supper time.

as a last resort as the last choice; if every-

thing else fails. Call the doctor at home

only as a last resort. As a last resort, she

will perform surgery.

as alike as (two) peas in a pod very sim-

ilar. (Compare this with like (two) peas

in a pod.) The twins are as alike as two

peas in a pod. These two books are as

alike as peas in a pod.

as a matter of course normally; as a nor-

mal procedure. The nurse takes your

temperature as a matter of course. You

are expected to make your own bed as a

matter of course.

as a matter of fact actually; in addition to

what has been said; in reference to what

has been said. (See also matter-of-fact.)

As a matter of fact, John came into the

room while you were talking about him.

I’m not a poor worker. As a matter of fact,

I’m very efficient.

as an aside as a comment; as a comment

that is not supposed to be heard by every-

one. At the wedding, Tom said as an

aside, “The bride doesn’t look well.” At

the ballet, Billy said as an aside to his

mother, “I hope the dancers fall off the

stage!”

as a result of something because of some-

thing that has happened. As a result of

the accident, Tom couldn’t walk for six

months. We couldn’t afford to borrow

money for a house as a result of the rise

in interest rates.

as a token (of something) symbolic of some-

thing, especially of gratitude; as a me-

mento of something. He gave me a rose

as a token of the time we spent together.

Here, take this $100 as a token of my ap-

preciation. I can’t thank you enough.

Please accept this money as a token.

(as) awkward as a cow on a crutch and

(as) awkward as a cow on roller

skates very awkward. When Lulu was

pregnant, she was awkward as a cow on a

crutch. Tom will never be a gymnast.

He’s as awkward as a cow on roller skates!

(as) awkward as a cow on roller skates

Go to (as) awkward as a cow on a crutch.

(as) bad as all that as bad as reported; as

bad as it seems. (Usually expressed in the

negative.) Come on! Nothing could be

as bad as all that. Stop crying. It can’t

be as bad as all that.

(as) bald as a baby’s backside Go to (as)

bald as a coot.

(as) bald as a coot and (as) bald as a

baby ’s backside completely bald. If

Tom’s hair keeps receding like that, he’ll

be bald as a coot by the time he’s thirty.

FRED: Now, I’ll admit my hair is thin-

ning a little on the top, but— JANE: Thin-

ning? You’re not thinning, you’re as bald as

a baby’s backside!

(as) baleful as death promising evil; very

threatening. The wind’s moan was as

baleful as death. His voice sounded bale-

ful as death.

(as) big as all outdoors very big, usually

referring to a space of some kind.

(Folksy.) You should see Bob’s living

room. It’s as big as all outdoors. The new

movie theater is as big as all outdoors.

(as) big as life and (as) big as life and

twice as ugly an exaggerated way of say-

ing that a person or a thing appeared in

a particular place. (Folksy. The second

phrase is slang.) The little child just

stood there as big as life and laughed very

hard. I opened the door, and there was

Tom as big as life. I came home and

found this cat in my chair, as big as life and

twice as ugly.

(as) big as life and twice as ugly Go to

(as) big as life.

(as) black as a skillet black. I don’t

want to go down to the cellar. It’s as black

as a skillet down there.  The bruise

turned black as a skillet.

(as) black as a sweep extremely dirty.

(The sweep is a chimney sweep.) After

playing in the mud all morning, the chil-

dren were as black as sweeps. When Jane

came in from working on her car, Alan told

her, “Wash before you come to the dinner

table. You’re black as a sweep!”

(as) black as coal completely black.

Mark’s eyes were as black as coal. The

stranger’s clothes were all black as coal.

(as) black as night very dark and black.

The ink in this pen is black as night.

During the eclipse, my room was as black

as night.

(as) black as one is painted as evil as de-

scribed. (Usually negative.) The land-

lord is not as black as he is painted. He

seems quite generous. Young people are

rarely black as they are painted in the

media.

(as) black as pitch very black; very dark.

The night was as black as pitch. The

rocks seemed black as pitch against the sil-

ver sand.

(as) black as the ace of spades very

black. (Refers to playing cards.) The

car was long and shiny and black as the ace

of spades. Jill’s shoes are black as the ace

of spades.

(as) blind as a bat with imperfect sight;

blind. My grandmother is as blind as a

bat. I’m getting blind as a bat. I can

hardly read this page.

(as) bold as brass very bold; bold to the

point of rudeness. Lisa marched into

the manager’s office, bold as brass, and

demanded her money back. The tiny

kitten, as bold as brass, began eating the

dog’s food right in front of the dog’s nose.

(as) bright as a button intelligent; quick-

minded. (Usually used to describe chil-

dren.) Why, Mrs. Green, your little girl

is as bright as a button. You can’t fool

Mandy. She may be only six years old, but

she’s bright as a button.

(as) bright as a new pin bright and clean;

shiny. After Nora cleaned the house, it

was as bright as a new pin. My kitchen

f loor is bright as a new pin since I started

using this new f loor wax.

(as) busy as a bee Go to (as) busy as a

beaver.

(as) busy as a cat on a hot tin roof full

of lively activity; very busy. I’m afraid

I can’t go to lunch with you on Saturday;

I’ll be busy as a cat on a hot tin roof, be-

tween working overtime and the two par-

ties I have to go to. Jerry’s three part-

time jobs kept him as busy as a cat on a hot

tin roof.

(as) busy as a hibernating bear not busy

at all. TOM: I can’t go with you. I’m

busy. JANE: Yeah. You’re as busy as a

hibernating bear. He lounged on the sofa

all day, busy as a hibernating bear.

(as) busy as a one-armed paperhanger

very busy. My boss keeps me as busy as

a one-armed paperhanger.   I’ve got

plenty of work. I’m busy as a one-armed

paperhanger.

(as) busy as Grand Central Station very

busy; crowded with customers or other

people. (Refers to Grand Central Station

in New York City.) This house is as busy

as Grand Central Station.  When the

tourist season starts, this store is busy as

Grand Central Station.

(as) busy as popcorn on a skillet very

active. She rushed around, as busy as

popcorn on a skillet. Prying into other

folks’ business kept him busy as popcorn on

a skillet.

(as) calm as a toad in the sun very calm

and content. She smiled, as calm as a

toad in the sun. Nothing ruff les him.

He’s calm as a toad in the sun.

(as) clear as a bell very clear and easy to

hear. I fixed the radio, so now all the

stations come in clear as a bell. Through

the wall, I could hear the neighbors talk-

ing, just as clear as a bell.

(as) clear as crystal 1. very clear; trans-

parent. The stream was as clear as crys-

tal. She cleaned the windowpane until

it was clear as crystal. 2. very clear; easy

to understand. The explanation was as

clear as crystal. Her lecture was not clear

as crystal, but at least it was not dull.

(as) clear as mud not understandable. (In-

formal.) Your explanation is as clear as

mud. This doesn’t make sense. It’s clear

as mud.

(as) clear as vodka 1. very clear. The

weather is as clear as vodka. The river

wasn’t exactly as clear as vodka because it

had just rained. 2. very understandable.

Everything he said is as clear as vodka.

I understand what John said, but every-

thing you say is clear as vodka.

(as) close as two coats of paint close and

intimate. When Tom and Mary were

kids, they were as close as two coats of

paint. All their lives, the cousins were

close as two coats of paint.

(as) cocky as the king of spades boast-

ful; overly proud. (Refers to playing

cards.) He’d challenge anyone to a fight.

He’s as cocky as the king of spades. She

strutted in, cocky as the king of spades.

(as) cold as a witch’s caress and (as)

cold as a witch’s tit very cold; chilling.

(Use caution with tit.) The wind was as

cold as a witch’s caress. She gave me a

look as cold as a witch’s caress.

(as) crooked as a barrel of fishhooks

and (as) crooked as a fishhook dis-

honest. Don’t play cards with him. He’s

as crooked as a barrel of fishhooks. Af-

ter Jane cheated a few folks, word got

around that she was crooked as a fishhook.

(as) crooked as a dog’s hind leg dishon-

est. Don’t trust John. He’s as crooked as

a dog’s hind leg. Mary says all politi-

cians are crooked as a dog’s hind leg.

(as) crooked as a fishhook Go to (as)

crooked as a barrel of fishhooks.

(as) dead as a dodo dead; no longer in ex-

istence. (Informal.) Yes, Adolf Hitler is

really dead—as dead as a dodo. That

silly old idea is dead as a dodo.

(as) dead as a doornail dead. (Informal.)

This fish is as dead as a doornail.

John kept twisting the chicken’s neck even

though it was dead as a doornail.

(as) deaf as a post very deaf; profoundly

deaf. He can’t hear a thing you say. He’s

as deaf as a post. Our old dog is deaf as

a post and he can’t see much either.

(as) different as night and day com-

pletely different. Although Bobby and

Billy are twins, they are as different as

night and day. Birds and bats appear

to be similar, but they are different as night

and day.

(as) drunk as a lord and (as) drunk as

a skunk very drunk. He came home

drunk as a lord again. She was as drunk

as a lord by the time they left here.

(as) easy as falling off a log and (as)

easy as rolling off a log very easy.

(Folksy.) Passing that exam was as easy

as falling off a log. Getting out of jail

was easy as rolling off a log.

(as) easy as rolling off a log Go to (as)

easy as falling off a log.

(as) exciting as watching (the) paint dry

very, very dull. This book is about as ex-

citing as watching paint dry. Listening

to you is exciting as watching the paint dry.

(as) far as anyone knows and so far as

anyone knows to the limits of anyone’s

knowledge. (Informal. The anyone can be

replaced with a more specific noun or

pronoun.) As far as anyone knows, this

is the last of the great herds of buffalo.

Far as I know, this is the best one. These

are the only keys to the house so far as any-

one knows.

as far as it goes as much as something

does, covers, or accomplishes. (Usually

said of something that is inadequate.)

Your plan is fine as far as it goes. It doesn’t

seem to take care of everything, though.

As far as it goes, this law is a good one.

It should require stiffer penalties, however.

(as) fat as a pig exceptionally fat;

grotesquely fat. If I don’t stop eating

this cake, I’ll be fat as a pig! You really

ought to go on a diet; you’re as fat as a pig.

(as) fit as a fiddle healthy and physically

fit. Mary is as fit as a fiddle. Tom

used to be fit as a fiddle. Look at him now!

(as) flat as a board very flat. (Also used

to describe someone’s chest or abdomen,

referring to well-developed abdominal

muscles or to small or absent breasts or

pectoral development—in either sex.)

Jane was f lat as a board until she was six-

teen, when she suddenly blossomed. The

terrain in that part of the country is as f lat

as a board.

(as) flat as a pancake very flat. (Infor-

mal.) The punctured tire was as f lat as

a pancake. Bobby squashed the ant f lat

as a pancake.

as for someone or something 1. and as to some-

one or something regarding someone or

something. As for the mayor, he can pay

for his own dinner. As for you, Bobby,

there will be no dessert tonight. As for

this chair, there is nothing to do but throw

it away. As to your idea about building

a new house, forget it. 2. [with someone]

quoting someone; speaking for someone.

As for me, I prefer vegetables to meat.

As for Tom, he refuses to attend the

concert.

(as) free as a bird carefree; completely

free. Jane is always happy and free as a

bird. The convict escaped from jail and

was as free as a bird for two days. In

the summer I feel free as a bird.

(as) free as (the) air completely free;

without obligations or responsibilities.

The day I got out of the army, I felt as free

as air. No, I’m not married. I don’t even

have a girlfriend. I’m free as the air.

(as) fresh as a daisy very fresh; fresh and

alert. The morning dew was as fresh as

a daisy. Sally was fresh as a daisy and

cheerful as could be.

(as) full as a tick and (as) tight as a tick

very full of food or drink. (Informal.

Refers to a tick that has filled itself full

of blood.) Little Billy ate and ate until

he was as tight as a tick. Our cat drank

the cream until he became full as a tick.

(as) funny as a barrel of monkeys and

more fun than a barrel of monkeys

very funny. (Almost the same as as much

fun as a barrel of monkeys.) Todd was

as funny as a barrel of monkeys. The en-

tire evening was funny as a barrel of mon-

keys. The party was more fun than a

barrel of monkeys.

(as) funny as a crutch not funny at all.

Your trick is about as funny as a crutch.

Nobody thought it was funny. The well-

dressed lady slipped and fell in the gutter,

which was funny as a crutch.

(as) gaudy as a butterfly gaudy; color-

ful. Marie looked as gaudy as a butter-

f ly in her new dress. Michael’s scarf is

gaudy as a butterf ly.

(as) gentle as a lamb very gentle. (Used

to describe people.) Don’t be afraid of

Mr. Smith. He may look fierce, but he’s as

gentle as a lamb. Lisa was gentle as a

lamb when dealing with children.

(as) good as done the same as being done;

almost done. (Other past participles can

replace done in this phrase: cooked, dead,

finished, painted, typed, etc.) This job

is as good as done. It’ll just take another

second. Yes, sir, if you hire me to paint

your house, it’s as good as painted.

When I hand my secretary a letter to be

typed, I know that it’s as good as typed

right then and there.

(as) good as gold genuine; authentic.

Mary’s promise is as good as gold. Yes,

this diamond is genuine—good as gold.

as good as one’s word obedient to one’s

promise; dependable in keeping one’s

promises. He was as good as his word.

He lent me the books as promised. She

said she would baby-sit and she was as

good as her word.

(as) graceful as a swan very graceful.

The boat glided out onto the lake as grace-

ful as a swan. Jane is graceful as a swan.

(as) gruff as a bear gruff; curt and unso-

ciable. I hate to ask Erica questions;

she’s always gruff as a bear. I’m always

as gruff as a bear before I’ve had my first

cup of coffee.

(as) happy as a clam happy and content.

(Note the variation in the examples.

Sometimes with additional phrases, such

as in butter sauce or at high tide.) Tom

sat there smiling, as happy as a clam.

There they all sat, eating corn on the cob

and looking happy as clams.

(as) happy as a lark visibly happy and

cheerful. (Note the variation in the ex-

amples.) Sally walked along whistling,

as happy as a lark. The children danced

and sang, happy as larks.

(as) happy as can be very happy. We

are both as happy as can be. Bob was

happy as can be when he won the lottery.

(as) hard as a rock and (as) hard as

stone very hard. This cake is as hard

as a rock! I can’t drive a nail into this

wood. It’s hard as stone.

(as) hard as nails very hard; cold and

cruel. (Refers to the nails that are used

with a hammer.) The old loaf of bread

was dried out and became as hard as nails.

Ann was unpleasant and hard as nails

(as) hard as stone Go to (as) hard as a

rock.

(as) high as a kite and (as) high as the

sky 1. very high. The tree grew as high

as a kite. Our pet bird got outside and

f lew up high as the sky. 2. drunk or

drugged. Bill drank beer until he got as

high as a kite. The thieves were high as

the sky on drugs.

(as) high as the sky Go to (as) high as a

kite.

(as) hoarse as a crow hoarse.

shouting at the team all afternoon, the

coach was as hoarse as a crow. JILL: Has

Bob got a cold? JANE: No, he’s always

hoarse as a crow.

(as) hot as fire very hot; burning hot.

I’m afraid Betsy has a high fever. Her fore-

head is hot as fire. In the summertime,

the concrete sidewalks feel as hot as fire.

(as) hot as hell very hot. (Informal. Use

caution with hell.) It’s as hot as hell out-

side. It must be near 100 degrees. I hate

to get into a car that has been parked in

the sun. It’s hot as hell.

(as) hungry as a bear very hungry. (In-

formal.) I’m as hungry as a bear. I could

eat anything! Whenever I jog, I get hun-

gry as a bear.

(as) hungry as a hunter very hungry.

Is there anything to eat? I’ve been out hoe-

ing my garden all morning, and I’m as

hungry as a hunter! We’d better have a

big meal ready by the time Tommy gets

home; he’s always hungry as a hunter af-

ter soccer practice.

as I expected Go to (just) as I expected.

(as) innocent as a lamb guiltless; naive.

“Hey! You can’t throw me in jail,” cried

the robber. “I’m innocent as a lamb.”

Look at the baby, as innocent as a lamb.

as it were as one might say. (Sometimes

used to qualify an assertion that may not

sound reasonable.) He carefully con-

structed, as it were, a huge sandwich.

The Franklins live in a small, as it were,

exquisite house.

(as) large as life in person; actually, and

sometimes surprisingly, present at a

place. I thought Jack was away, but

there he was as large as life. Jean was not

expected to appear, but she turned up large

as life.

(as) light as a feather of little weight.

Sally dieted until she was as light as a

feather. Of course I can lift the box. It’s

light as a feather.

(as) likely as not probably; with an even

chance either way. He will as likely as

not arrive without warning. Likely as

not, the game will be canceled.

as long as 1. and so long as since; be-

cause. As long as you’re going to the

bakery, please buy some fresh bread. So

long as you’re here, please stay for dinner.

2. and so long as if; only if. You may

have dessert so long as you eat all your veg-

etables. You can go out this evening as

long as you promise to be home by mid-

night. 3. for a specified length of time.

You may stay out as long as you like. I

didn’t go to school as long as Bill did. 4. [in

comparisons] of equal length. Is this

one as long as that one? This snake is

as long as a car!

as luck would have it by good or bad

luck; as it turned out; by chance. As

luck would have it, we had a f lat tire.

As luck would have it, the check came in

the mail today.

(as) mad as a hatter 1. crazy. (From the

crazy character called the Hatter in Lewis

Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonder-

land.) Poor old John is as mad as a hat-

All these screaming children are

driving me mad as a hatter. 2. angry.

(This is a misunderstanding of mad in

the first sense. Folksy. The first as can be

omitted.) You make me so angry! I’m as

mad as a hatter. John can’t control his

temper. He’s always mad as a hatter.

(as) mad as a hornet angry. You make

me so angry. I’m as mad as a hornet.

Jane can get mad as a hornet when some-

body criticizes her.

(as) mad as a wet hen angry. (Folksy.)

Bob was screaming and shouting—as mad

as a wet hen. What you said made Mary

mad as a wet hen.

(as) mad as hell very angry. (Informal.

Use caution with hell.) He made his

wife as mad as hell. Those terrorists

make me mad as hell.

(as) meek as a lamb meek; quiet and

docile. Only an hour after their argu-

ment, Joe went to Elizabeth and, meek as

a lamb, asked her to forgive him. Betsy

terrorizes the other children, but she’s as

meek as a lamb around her elders.

(as) merry as a cricket cheerful. (Old-

fashioned.) Mary is as merry as a

cricket whenever she has company come to

call. George is such a pleasant compan-

ion; he’s usually merry as a cricket.

(as) merry as the day is long very happy

and carefree. The little children are as

merry as the day is long. Only on va-

cation are we merry as the day is long.

as much fun as a barrel of monkeys a

great deal of fun. (Almost the same as

(as) funny as a barrel of monkeys.)

Roger is as much fun as a barrel of mon-

keys. The circus was as much fun as a

barrel of monkeys.

(as) naked as a jaybird naked. “Billy,”

called Mrs. Franklin, “get back in the house

and get some clothes on. You’re as naked as

a jaybird.” Tom had to get naked as a

jaybird for the doctor to examine him.

(as) neat as a pin neat and orderly. Brad

is such a good housekeeper; his apartment

is always as neat as a pin. Joanne cer-

tainly is well-organized. Her desk is neat

as a pin.

as one as if a group were one person. (Es-

pecially with act, move, or speak.) All

the dancers moved as one. The chorus

spoke as one.

(as) pale as a ghost Go to (as) white as

a ghost.

(as) pale as death extremely pale. (The

reference to death gives this phrase omi-

nous connotations.) Rita was as pale as

death when she came out of the doctor’s of-

fice. What’s the matter? You’re pale as

death!

(as) patient as Job very patient. (Refers

to a character in the Bible.) If you want

to teach young children, you must be as pa-

tient as Job. The director who is work-

ing with that temperamental actor must

have the patience of Job.

(as) phony as a three-dollar bill phony;

bogus. This guy’s as phony as a three-

dollar bill. The whole deal stinks. It’s as

phony as a three-dollar bill.

(as) plain as a pikestaff obvious; very

clear. JILL: Why does the Senator al-

ways vote for measures that would help the

tobacco industry? JANE: It’s as plain as a

pikestaff—because there are a lot of to-

bacco growers in his district, and he wants

them to vote for him. FRED: I have a

suspicion that Marcia is upset with me.

ALAN: A suspicion? Come on, Fred, that’s

been plain as a pikestaff for quite some

time!

(as) plain as day 1. very plain and sim-

ple. Although his face was as plain as

day, his smile made him look interesting

and friendly. Our house is plain as day,

but it’s comfortable. 2. clear and under-

standable. The lecture was as plain as

day. No one had to ask questions. His

statement was plain as day.

(as) pleased as punch very pleased; very

pleased with oneself. (Refers to the char-

acter Punch in [English] Punch and Judy

puppet shows. Punch is sometimes capi-

talized.) Wally was as pleased as punch

when he won the prize. She seems

pleased as punch, but she knows she does-

n’t deserve the award.

(as) poor as a church mouse very poor.

My aunt is as poor as a church mouse.

The Browns are poor as church mice.

(as) pretty as a picture very pretty.

Sweet little Mary is as pretty as a picture.

Their new house is pretty as a picture.

(as) proud as a peacock very proud;

haughty. John is so arrogant. He’s as

proud as a peacock. The new father was

proud as a peacock.

(as) pure as the driven snow pure and

virginal. (Often used ironically.) JILL:

Sue must have gone to bed with every man

in town. JANE: And I always thought she

was as pure as the driven snow. Robert

was notoriously promiscuous, but tried to

convince all his girlfriends that he was pure

as the driven snow.

(as) queer as a three-dollar bill very

strange. Today I saw a woman pushing

a lawn mower down the street and singing

to it as she went. I thought she was queer

as a three-dollar bill. JILL: In all the

years I’ve known him, Mike has never had

a suit and he goes barefoot. FRED: That’s

because he’s as queer as a three-dollar bill.

(as) quick as a flash Go to (as) quick as

a wink.

(as) quick as a wink and (as) quick as

a flash very quickly. As quick as a

wink, the thief took the lady’s purse. I’ll

finish this work quick as a wink. The

dog grabbed the meat as quick as a f lash.

The summer days went by quick as a

f lash.

(as) quiet as a mouse very quiet; shy and

silent. (Informal. Often used with chil-

dren.) Don’t yell; whisper. Be as quiet

as a mouse. Mary hardly ever says any-

thing. She’s quiet as a mouse.

(as) quiet as the grave very quiet; silent.

The house is as quiet as the grave when

the children are at school. This town is

quiet as the grave now that the offices have

closed.

(as) red as a cherry bright red. (Some-

what old-fashioned.) When the chil-

dren came in from ice-skating, Clara’s nose

was as red as a cherry. When Lester pro-

posed marriage, Nancy blushed as red as

a cherry.

(as) red as a poppy bright red. (Usually

used to describe someone blushing.)

You must be embarrassed—you’re as red

as a poppy! When her boss praised her

in front of the whole office, Emily turned

red as a poppy.

(as) red as a rose intensely red. Bill

blushed as red as a rose when we teased

him.

(as) red as a ruby deep red. (Often used

to describe a person’s lips.) Linda has

a beautiful face, with big blue eyes and lips

as red as rubies.

(as) red as blood completely red; deep

red. (The reference to blood gives this ex-

pression sinister connotations.) The

magician’s cape was lined with satin as red

as blood. I want to have my car painted

red as blood.

(as) regular as clockwork dependably re-

gular. (Informal.) She comes into this

store every day, as regular as clockwork.

Our tulips come up every year, regular

as clockwork.

(as) sharp as a razor 1. very sharp. The

penknife is sharp as a razor. The carv-

ing knife will have to be as sharp as a ra-

zor to cut through this meat. 2. very

sharp-witted or intelligent. The old

man’s senile, but his wife is as sharp as a

razor. Don’t say too much in front of the

child. She’s as sharp as a razor.

(as) sharp as a tack intellectually bright.

Melissa doesn’t say very much, but she’s

sharp as a tack. Sue can figure things

out from even the slightest hint. She’s as

sharp as a tack.

(as) sick as a dog very sick; sick and vom-

iting. We’ve never been so ill. The whole

family was sick as dogs. Sally was as sick

as a dog and couldn’t go to the party.

(as) silent as the dead and (as) silent as

the grave completely silent. (Has omi-

nous connotations because of the refer-

ence to death. Usually used to promise

someone that you will be silent and

therefore not betray a secret.) I knew

something was wrong as soon as I entered

the classroom; everyone was silent as the

dead. Jessica is as silent as the grave on

the subject of her first marriage. If you

tell me what Katy said about me, I promise

to be as silent as the grave.

(as) silent as the grave Go to (as) silent

as the dead.

(as) slick as a whistle quickly and cleanly;

quickly and skillfully. Tom took a

broom and a mop and cleaned the place up

as slick as a whistle. Slick as a whistle,

Sally pulled off the bandage.

(as) slippery as an eel devious; unde-

pendable. Tom can’t be trusted. He’s as

slippery as an eel. It’s hard to catch Joe

in his office because he’s slippery as an eel.

(as) slow as molasses in January and

slower than molasses in January slow.

Can’t you get dressed any faster? I de-

clare, you’re as slow as molasses in Janu-

ary. The traffic on the way to the con-

cert was slower than molasses in January.

(as) sly as a fox smart and clever.

nephew is as sly as a fox. You have to

be sly as a fox to outwit me.

(as) smooth as glass smooth and shiny.

(Often used to describe calm bodies of

water.) The bay is as smooth as glass,

so we should have a pleasant boat trip.

Eugene polished the f loor until it was

smooth as glass.

(as) smooth as silk very smooth. This

pudding is smooth as silk. Your skin is

as smooth as silk.

(as) snug as a bug in a rug cozy and snug.

(Informal. The kind of thing said when

putting a child to bed.) Let’s pull up the

covers. There you are, Bobby, as snug as a

bug in a rug. What a lovely little house!

I know I’ll be snug as a bug in a rug.

(as) soft as a baby’s bottom very soft and

smooth to the touch. This cloth is as

soft as a baby’s bottom. No, Bob does-

n’t shave yet. His cheeks are soft as a baby’s

bottom.

(as) soft as down soft to the touch.

(Refers to the softness of goose or duck

down.) The kitten’s fur was as soft as

down. The baby’s skin was soft as down.

(as) soft as silk very soft. This fabric is

as soft as silk. Your touch is soft as silk.

(as) soft as velvet very soft to the touch.

The horse’s nose felt as soft as velvet.

This lotion will make your skin soft as

velvet.

(as) solid as a rock very solid; dependable.

Jean has been lifting weights every day,

and her arm muscles are solid as a rock.

This company builds typewriters that

are as solid as a rock.

as soon as at the moment that; at the time

that; when. I fell asleep as soon as I lay

down. John ate dinner as soon as he

came home.

(as) sound as a dollar 1. very secure and

dependable. This investment is as sound

as a dollar. I wouldn’t put my money in

a bank that isn’t sound as a dollar. 2.

sturdy and well-constructed. This

house is as sound as a dollar. The garage

is still sound as a dollar. Why tear it down?

(as) sour as vinegar sour and disagree-

able. The old man greeted us ill-

naturedly, his face as sour as vinegar.

JILL: Is Mary in a bad mood today? JANE:

Yes, sour as vinegar.

(as) steady as a rock very steady and un-

movable; very stable. His hand was

steady as a rock as he pulled the trigger of

the revolver. You must remain as steady

as a rock when you are arguing with your

supervisor.

(as) stiff as a poker rigid and inflexible;

stiff and awkward. (Usually used to de-

scribe people.) This guy’s dead. He’s

cold and as stiff as a poker. John is not

a very good dancer; he’s stiff as a poker.

(as) still as death immobile; completely

still. (The reference to death gives this ex-

pression ominous connotations.)

George sat as still as death all afternoon.

When the storm was over, everything

was suddenly still as death.

(as) strong as a horse [of someone] very

strong. JILL: My car broke down; it’s sit-

ting out on the street. JANE: Get Linda to

help you push it; she’s as strong as a horse.

The athlete was strong as a horse. He

could lift his own weight with just one

hand.

(as) strong as a lion very strong. See if

you can get Melissa to help us move our

furniture. She’s as strong as a lion. The

football player was strong as a lion.

(as) stubborn as a mule very stubborn.

My husband is as stubborn as a mule.

Our cat is stubborn as a mule.

as such the way something is; as someone

or something is. I cannot accept your

manuscript as such. It needs revisions.

You are new here, and as such, I will have

to train you.

(as) sure as death sure; very certain. As

political tension increased, it became more

and more apparent that war was coming,

as sure as death. JILL: Is the company

definitely going to lay people off ? JANE:

Sure as death.

(as) sweet as honey and (as) sweet as

sugar 1. very sweet. These little cakes

are as sweet as honey. This fruit juice is

as sweet as honey. 2. charming; very nice

and friendly. She is as sweet as honey

whenever she talks to me. He seems

sweet as honey, but he is really mean.

(as) sweet as sugar Go to (as) sweet as

honey.

(as) swift as an arrow very fast.

new intercity train is swift as an arrow.

My week of vacation sped by as swift as an

arrow.

(as) swift as thought extremely fast.

Thanks to modern communication de-

vices, news can now travel almost as swift

as thought. You won’t have to wait for

me long; I’ll be there, swift as thought.

as the crow flies straight across the land,

as opposed to distances measured on a

road, river, etc. (Folksy.) It’s twenty

miles to town on the highway, but only ten

miles as the crow flies. Our house is only

a few miles from the lake as the crow f lies.

(as) thick as pea soup [of a liquid or fog]

very thick. (Informal.) This fog is as

thick as pea soup. Wow, this coffee is

strong! It’s thick as pea soup.

(as) thick as thieves very close-knit;

friendly; allied. Mary, Tom, and Sally

are as thick as thieves. They go everywhere

together. Those two families are thick as

thieves.

(as) tight as a drum 1. stretched tight.

Julia stretched the upholstery fabric over

the seat of the chair until it was as tight

as a drum. 2. sealed tight. Now that

I’ve caulked all the windows, the house

should be tight as a drum. 3. very stingy.

was a child she was as ugly as a toad.

The shopkeeper was ugly as a toad, but he

was kind and generous, and everyone loved

(as) ugly as sin very ugly. The new

building is as ugly as sin. The old

woman is ugly as sin, but she dresses

beautifully.

as usual as is the normal or typical situa-

tion. John ordered eggs for breakfast as

usual. He stood quietly as usual, wait-

ing for the bus to come.

(as) warm as toast very warm and cozy.

The baby will be warm as toast in that

blanket. We were as warm as toast by

the side of the fire.

(as) weak as a baby [of someone] phys-

ically very weak. Six weeks of illness left

the athlete as weak as a baby. Hot, hu-

mid weather like this always makes me feel

weak as a baby.

(as) weak as a kitten weak; weak and

sickly. John is as weak as a kitten be-

cause he doesn’t eat well. Oh! Suddenly

I feel weak as a kitten.

He won’t contribute a cent. He’s as tight

as a drum.

as well as 1. in addition to someone or

something. Mary and Jane are coming

to the party, as well as Tom. I’m study-

ing biology and chemistry, as well as his-

tory. 2. to the same high degree as some-

one or something; as much as. Mary’s

parents treated me as well as they treated

her. I did as well as you on the test.

(as) white as a ghost and (as) pale as

a ghost [of a person] very pale. His

face is as white as a ghost. He turned

pale as a ghost when he saw his injured leg.

(as) white as a sheet very pale. Jane

was white as a sheet for weeks after her

illness. Mary went as white as a sheet

when she heard the news.

(as) white as the driven snow very white.

I like my bed sheets to be as white as

the driven snow. We have a new kitten

whose fur is white as the driven snow.

(as) wise as an owl very wise.

father is as wise as an owl. My goal is

to be wise as an owl.

(as) wise as Solomon very wise. (Refers

to a character in the Bible.) If you are

in trouble, get Chris to advise you. He’s as

wise as Solomon. This is a difficult prob-

lem. You’d need to be as wise as Solomon

to be able to solve it.









hysically or emotionally cold.) Ray-

mond took Joanna’s hand. It was cold as

marble. No one ever got a smile out of

Caroline, who was as cold as marble.

(as) comfortable as an old shoe very

comfortable; very comforting and famil-

iar. This old house is fine. It’s as com-

fortable as an old shoe. That’s a great

tradition—comfortable as an old shoe.

(as) common as an old shoe low class;

uncouth. That trashy girl is just as com-

mon as an old shoe. Jim may have

money, but he’s common as an old shoe.

(as) common as dirt vulgar; ill-mannered.

FRED: Did you notice Mr. Jones blow-

ing his nose into the linen napkin at din-

ner? ELLEN: I’m not surprised. Everyone

knows that the Joneses are as common as

dirt. Despite Jane’s efforts to imitate the

manners of the upper class, the town’s

leading families still considered her com-

mon as dirt.

(as) conceited as a barber ’s cat very

conceited; vain. Ever since he won that

award, he’s been as conceited as a barber’s

cat. She’s stuck up all right—conceited

as a barber’s cat.

(as) cool as a cucumber calm and not ag-

itated; with one’s wits about one. (Infor-

mal.) The captain remained as cool as

a cucumber as the passengers boarded the

lifeboats. During the fire the home-

owner was cool as a cucumber.

(as) crazy as a betsy bug loony. TOM:

Susan says she’s really the Queen of En-

gland. BILL: She’s crazy as a betsy bug.

Ever since his wife left him, Joe’s been act-

ing as crazy as a betsy bug.

(as) crazy as a loon very silly; completely

insane. (Folksy.) If you think you can

get away with that, you’re as crazy as a

loon. Poor old John is crazy as a loon.





(as) crooked as a barrel of fishhooks

and (as) crooked as a fishhook dis-

honest. Don’t play cards with him. He’s

as crooked as a barrel of fishhooks. Af-

ter Jane cheated a few folks, word got

around that she was crooked as a fishhook.

(as) crooked as a dog’s hind leg dishon-

est. Don’t trust John. He’s as crooked as

a dog’s hind leg. Mary says all politi-

cians are crooked as a dog’s hind leg.

(as) crooked as a fishhook Go to (as)

crooked as a barrel of fishhooks.

(as) dead as a dodo dead; no longer in ex-

istence. (Informal.) Yes, Adolf Hitler is

really dead—as dead as a dodo. That

silly old idea is dead as a dodo.

(as) dead as a doornail dead. (Informal.)

This fish is as dead as a doornail.

John kept twisting the chicken’s neck even

though it was dead as a doornail.

(as) deaf as a post very deaf; profoundly

deaf. He can’t hear a thing you say. He’s

as deaf as a post. Our old dog is deaf as

a post and he can’t see much either.

(as) different as night and day com-

pletely different. Although Bobby and

Billy are twins, they are as different as

night and day. Birds and bats appear

to be similar, but they are different as night

and day.

(as) drunk as a lord and (as) drunk as

a skunk very drunk. He came home

drunk as a lord again. She was as drunk

as a lord by the time they left here.

(as) drunk as a skunk Go to (as) drunk

as a lord.