Similes Flashcards
I was the only one who turned up at the party in fancy dress and I stood out like a …….. thumb.
Bruised / swollen / sore / painful
o To stick/stand out like a sore thumb – everyone notices them because they are very different from the people or things around them. Dar el cantazo.
o “Everyone else was in jeans and T-shirts and I had my office clothes on - I stuck out like a sore thumb.”
My joke about the alcoholic went down like a lead ……… There was just an embarrassed silence.
Balloon / ball / weight / load
To go down like a lead balloon - to be completely unsuccessful or unpopular. If something that you say or show to people goes down like a lead balloon, they do not like it at all.
His father always smoked like a …….. and yet always seemed to be in good health.
Pipe / chimney / fire / candle
To smoke like a chimney – que fuma muchísimo
Our teacher at school used to have eyes like a(n) …….. and would always spot if someone was misbehaving in class.
Kite / hawk / eagle / owl
o Hawk: halcón
o To have eyes like an hawk – vista de halcón / ojo de halcón (como en tenis)
o To notice every small detail or everything that is happening, and therefore be very difficult to deceive (engañar)
It might not be the most popular tourist destination but the country is thought to be as safe as …….. for visitors.
Houses / flats / blocks / sheds
To be as safe as houses – they are completely safe
Physically John is as …….. as nails but suffers from a lack of confidence.
Solid / tough / hard / strong
To be as hard as nails - If you say that someone is as hard as nails, you mean that they are extremely tough (duro, fuerte) and aggressive, either physically or in their attitude towards other people or other situations. Ser duro como una roca.
The film was as …….. as ditchwater and we decided to leave before the end.
Drap / grim / dull / flat
o Ditchwater: agua de acequia
o To be as dull as ditchwater – to be extremely boring
We’ll need to make sure the car is as …….. as a whistle on the day of the wedding.
Tidy / clean / bright / shiny
o To be as clean as a whistle:
i. For objects: extremely clean
ii. For people: If you describe someone as clean as a whistle, you mean that they are not guilty of having done anything wrong.
o Whistle: silbido
o Whisper: susurro
