Leon's List of English Similes

I. Explicit Similes (as...as...)

II. Implicit Similes (like....)

III. Common Metaphorical Collocations

Please not that the terms 'explicit similes' and 'implicit similes' were 'coined' by Leon of Leon's Planet. Any similarities to other published material is pure coincidence (or they took the information from my website and did not give me credit). I coined the terms in 2007.

Pic	Explicit Similes	Implicit Similes
Pics	As.....as....	...like...	meaning
Cool Cat	As cool as a cat.	...like a cat sleep like a cat = live like a cat =	sleep like a cat = sleep a long time live like a cat = live carelessly (because cats have 9 lives)
Looney Toons' Wile E. Coyote	As wily as a coyote.	X	X
Sick Dog	As sick as a dog.	like a puppy	Ex.) Sb follows sb wherever (like a puppy follows its mother).
Noisy Elephant	As noisy as a herd of elephants.	Walk like an elephant.	Walk with heavy / loud footsteps.
Sly Fox	As clever as a fox. [good meaning] As cunning as a fox. [bad meaning] As sly as a fox. [bad meaning]	(see metaphors)	X
Quiet Mouse	As quiet as a mouse.	X	X
Wise Owl	As wise as an owl.	(see metaphors)	X
Big Bad Wolf	As hungry as a wolf.	Hungry like a wolf.	very, very hungry

OTHER EXPLICIT SIMILES

Note: one can make up one's own similes in English, but these are common similes.

As cute as a button.

As pretty as a picture.

As soft as a baby's behind.

As hard as a rock.

As dumb as rocks.

As brave as a lion.

As pure as the driven snow.

As white as the driven snow.

As black as night.

As red as a tomato.

As graceful as a swan.

As poor as a church mouse.

As slow as molasses in January.

As fast/quick as lightning.

As colorful as a rainbow.

As playful as a kitten.

As dead as a door nail.

As pale as a ghost.

As skinny as a rail.

As hungry as a hippo.

As sick as a dog.

As plain as day.

As fake as a three-dollar bill.

As crooked as a politician.

As happy as a lark.

As naked as a jay bird.

As blind as a bat.

As strong as a horse.

As dumb as an ox.

As tough as nails.

As harmless as a dove.

As stubborn as a mule.

As busy as a bee.

MORE IMPLICIT SIMILES
SIMILE	MEANING
eat like a bird	(eat very little)
live like a pig	(live very untidily)
eat like a pig	(eat very sloppily) [U.S.]
like a tiger	(very aggressive)
swim like a fish	(swim very well)
eyes like a hawk	(eyes, which can see the minutest detail, even from a great distance)
like a wolf in sheep's clothing	(cunning)
sleep like a baby	(sleep soundly)
work like the devil	(work hard)
drink like a fish	(drink a lot of alcohol/liquor)
run around like a chicken with its head cut off	(run around crazily)
live like a candle in the wind	(live dangerously)
lie like a sieve	(tell lies often)
take it like a man	(endure sth well) [as opposed to take it like a little boy]
as many as the sands of the seashore	(innumerable)
like finding a needle in a haystack	(nearly impossible to find)
sing like a bird	(sing very well)
multiply like rabbits	(have many babies)
to know ((sth)) like the back of one's hand	(to know something very, very well)

COLLOCATION	MEANING (derog. = derogatory = not nice!)	SAMPLE SENTENCE
airhead	A stupid person [derog.]	She is such an airhead. She doesn't know very much.
bird brain	A stupid person [derog.]	What a bird brain! You did something so stupid!
black heart	evil personality	She has a black heart.
blockhead	A stupid person [derog.]	You are such a blockhead, Charlie Brown! That was a stupid thing to do!
blue skies	happiness	I am seeing blue skies, because I am happy.
butter fingers	clumsy fingers [derog.]	You have butter fingers. Everything you touch, you drop.
copycat	A person who copies other people (trying to be like them).	I have a student who is a copycat. She always wants to do what the other children want to do. She has no mind of her own.
eagle eyes	eyes with excellent vision	He has eagle eyes. He can see you from very far away.
egg head	A person who studies too much [derog.]	He is such an egg head. He won't play with us, because he is always studying.
forked tongue	a tongue, which speaks duplicity [derog.]	He who has a forked-tongue, speaks in lies. He says one thing, but means another.
four-eyes	A person with glasses [derog.]	Hey, four-eyes! Nice glasses.
gray skies	melancholy	I see only gray skies, because I am sad.
green thumb	a talent for growing plants	He has a green thumb. All his plants are growing very well.
lazybones	A lazy person [derog.]	You are such a lazybones!
lion-hearted	generous	He is so lion-hearted. He donates a lot to charity.
night owl	A person who stays up late at night.	I am a night owl. I like to stay up late at night.
numbskull	A stupid person [derog.]	You are such a numbskull! That was a stupid thing to do.
pitch black	As black as pitch	The room was pitch black with the lights off.
red carpet	royal treatment	They rolled out the red carpet for him. (They gave him the royal treatment).
rocket scientist	A very intelligent person.	It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the law of inertia.
silver-tongued	having eloquence and/or flattery	The silver-tongued lad flattered the ladies.
sunny disposition	happy personality	She has a sunny disposition. She is always happy.
sweet talk	praise given for the purpose of manipulation	His sweet talk will get him nowhere.
white paper	government report	It is a 'white paper' about AIDS in the country.