Today’s post is about similes, which describe something by comparing it to something else, often unrelated. The ones I’ll show you in this post are quite clichéd (overused) but you’ll hear native speakers use them from time to time.
- Happy as Larry
- Sick as a dog/parrot
- Fit as a butcher’s dog
- Drunk as a skunk
- Pissed as a newt
- Strong as an ox
- Weak as a kitten
- Easy as pie
- Nice as pie
- Pretty as a picture
- High as a kite
- Very excited
- Under the influence of drugs
Nobody knows who Larry is or why he’s happy; it’s just a fixed expression.
He’s as happy as Larry since he passed his driving test.
- Happy as a pig in shit
Butcher’s dogs get lots of meat.
- Fit as a fiddle
This makes no sense; it’s alliterative (uses the same letter and/or sound for poetic effect).
Six months to live? I feel as fit as a fiddle. There must be a mistake.
This rhymes. There is no other reason.
This is swearing. Nobody knows why newts get drunk, either. (‘Pissed’ here is British, meaning ‘drunk’ not American for ‘angry’).
Dave was as pissed as a newt at the office party. It was a bit embarrassing
An ox is a very strong cow.
this makes no sense to me because I can’t cook well.
English is as easy as pie.
I do like to eat, so this makes perfect sense.
My wife’s as pretty as a picture!
This can mean either:
The kids have a day off school tomorrow so they’re as high as kites.
The police arrested a man who was driving while he was as high as a kite.