Brewer's: Similes

in common use:

BALD as a coot.

BITTER as gall,soot.

BLACK as ink, as a coal, as a crow

BLIND as a bat, a beetle, a mole.

BLUNT as a hedge-hook.

BRAVE as Alexander.

BRIGHT as silver.

BRITTLE as glass.

BROWN as a berry

BUSY as a bee.

CHATTER like a jay.

CLEAR as crystal.

COLD as ice, as a frog, as charity.

COOL as a cucumber.

CROSS as the tongs, as two sticks.

DARK as pitch [pitch-dark].

DEAD as a door-nail.

DEAF as a post.

DRY as a bone.

FAIR as a lily.

FALSE as hell.

FAT as a pig, as a porpoise.

FLAT as a flounder, as a pancake.

FLEET as the wind, as a racehorse.

FREE as air.

GAY as a lark.

GOOD as gold.

GREEN as grass.

HARD as iron, as a flint.

HARMLESS as a dove.

HEAVY as lead.

HOARSE as a hog, as a raven.

HELPLESS as a babe.

HOLLOW as a drum.

HOT as fire, as an oven, as a coal.

HUNGRY as a hunter.

LIGHT as a feather, as day.

LIMP as a glove.

LOUD as thunder.

MERRY as a grig, as a cricket.

MILD as Moses, as milk.

NEAT as wax, as a new pin.

OBSTINATE as a pig (pig-headed.)

OLD as the hills, as Methuselah.

PALE as a ghost.

PATIENT as Job.

PLAIN as a pikestaff.

PLAYFUL as a kitten.

PLUMP as a partridge.

POOR as a rat, as a church mouse, as Job.

PROUD as Lucifer.

RED as blood, as a fox, a rose, a brick.

ROUGH as a nutmeg-grater.

ROUND as an orange, a ball.

RUDE as a bear.

SAFE as the bank [of England], or the stocks.

SAVAGE as a bear, as a tiger, as a bear with a sore head. SICK as a cat, a dog, a horse, a toad.

SHARP as a needle.

SLEEP like a top.

SLOW as a snail, as a tortoise.

SLY as a fox, as old boots.

SOFT as silk, as velvet, as soap.

SOUND as a roach, as a bell.

SOUR as vinegar, as verjuice.

STARE like a stuck pig.

STEADY as Old Time.

STIFF as a poker.

STRAIGHT as an arrow.

STRONG as iron, as a horse, as brandy.

SURE as a gun, as fate, as death and taxes.

SURLY as a bear.

SWEET as sugar.

SWIFT as lightning, as the wind, as an arrow.

THICK as hops.

THIN as a lath, as a whipping-post.

TIGHT as a drum.

TOUGH as leather.

TRUE as the Gospel.

VAIN as a peacock.

WARM as a toast.

WEAK as water.

WET as a fish.

WHITE as driven snow, as milk, as a swan, as a sheet, as chalk.

WISE as a serpent, as Solomoi.

YELLOW as a guinea, as gold, as saffron.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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