#similes — Public Fediverse posts

“A simile is just a metaphor with the scaffolding still up”*…

Russell Samora has been fooling around with figures of speech; with his colleagues at The Pudding, he’s fielded a fascinating analysis of of that comparative workhorse, the simile…

Similes are all around us. But, if you haven’t considered this figure of speech since grade school, here’s a refresher: similes compare a shared quality of two things, often using “like” or “as.”

I pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives… I thought it would be a trivial exercise, but the more I poked around, the more questions I had…

Samora explains how similes are structured and how they are used (and with what relative frequency) in literature. He examines some of the most common– and several special cases (“The Ironic Ones”). And he explains his methodology and sources… all in the context of a lovely interactive data visualization.

It’s as cool as hell: “Comparisons as Predictable as the Sunrise,” from @pudding.cool.

* James Geary

###

As we agree with Steve Martin that “a day without sunshine is like, you know, night,” we might recall that it was on this date in 1789 that Richard Kirwan published his essay in support of the phlogiston theory (the belief, that dates to alchemical times, in the existence of a fire-like element (dubbed “phlogiston”) contained within combustible bodies and released during burning. Kirwan was among the last of its advocates.

A well-regarded scientist in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Kirwan met and corresponded with Black, Lavoisier, Priestley, and Cavendish. Indeed, while scientific history remembers him as a defender of an incorrect theory, his work probably spurred Priestley and Lavoisier, who respectively discovered and named the actual elemental agent of combustion, oxygen.

But Kirwan is also remembered for a personal eccentricity (one of many) that led to some referring to him (all too poignantly) as “crazy as a bed bug”: he hated bugs (especially flies). Kirwan paid his servants a bounty for each one they killed.

source

“A simile is just a metaphor with the scaffolding still up”*…

Russell Samora has been fooling around with figures of speech; with his colleagues at The Pudding, he’s fielded a fascinating analysis of of that comparative workhorse, the simile…

Similes are all around us. But, if you haven’t considered this figure of speech since grade school, here’s a refresher: similes compare a shared quality of two things, often using “like” or “as.”

I pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives… I thought it would be a trivial exercise, but the more I poked around, the more questions I had…

Samora explains how similes are structured and how they are used (and with what relative frequency) in literature. He examines some of the most common– and several special cases (“The Ironic Ones”). And he explains his methodology and sources… all in the context of a lovely interactive data visualization.

It’s as cool as hell: “Comparisons as Predictable as the Sunrise,” from @pudding.cool.

* James Geary

###

As we agree with Steve Martin that “a day without sunshine is like, you know, night,” we might recall that it was on this date in 1789 that Richard Kirwan published his essay in support of the phlogiston theory (the belief, that dates to alchemical times, in the existence of a fire-like element (dubbed “phlogiston”) contained within combustible bodies and released during burning. Kirwan was among the last of its advocates.

A well-regarded scientist in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Kirwan met and corresponded with Black, Lavoisier, Priestley, and Cavendish. Indeed, while scientific history remembers him as a defender of an incorrect theory, his work probably spurred Priestley and Lavoisier, who respectively discovered and named the actual elemental agent of combustion, oxygen.

But Kirwan is also remembered for a personal eccentricity (one of many) that led to some referring to him (all too poignantly) as “crazy as a bed bug”: he hated bugs (especially flies). Kirwan paid his servants a bounty for each one they killed.

source

“A simile is just a metaphor with the scaffolding still up”*…

Russell Samora has been fooling around with figures of speech; with his colleagues at The Pudding, he’s fielded a fascinating analysis of of that comparative workhorse, the simile…

Similes are all around us. But, if you haven’t considered this figure of speech since grade school, here’s a refresher: similes compare a shared quality of two things, often using “like” or “as.”

I pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives… I thought it would be a trivial exercise, but the more I poked around, the more questions I had…

Samora explains how similes are structured and how they are used (and with what relative frequency) in literature. He examines some of the most common– and several special cases (“The Ironic Ones”). And he explains his methodology and sources… all in the context of a lovely interactive data visualization.

It’s as cool as hell: “Comparisons as Predictable as the Sunrise,” from @pudding.cool.

* James Geary

###

As we agree with Steve Martin that “a day without sunshine is like, you know, night,” we might recall that it was on this date in 1789 that Richard Kirwan published his essay in support of the phlogiston theory (the belief, that dates to alchemical times, in the existence of a fire-like element (dubbed “phlogiston”) contained within combustible bodies and released during burning. Kirwan was among the last of its advocates.

A well-regarded scientist in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Kirwan met and corresponded with Black, Lavoisier, Priestley, and Cavendish. Indeed, while scientific history remembers him as a defender of an incorrect theory, his work probably spurred Priestley and Lavoisier, who respectively discovered and named the actual elemental agent of combustion, oxygen.

But Kirwan is also remembered for a personal eccentricity (one of many) that led to some referring to him (all too poignantly) as “crazy as a bed bug”: he hated bugs (especially flies). Kirwan paid his servants a bounty for each one they killed.

source

“A simile is just a metaphor with the scaffolding still up”*…

Russell Samora has been fooling around with figures of speech; with his colleagues at The Pudding, he’s fielded a fascinating analysis of of that comparative workhorse, the simile…

Similes are all around us. But, if you haven’t considered this figure of speech since grade school, here’s a refresher: similes compare a shared quality of two things, often using “like” or “as.”

I pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives… I thought it would be a trivial exercise, but the more I poked around, the more questions I had…

Samora explains how similes are structured and how they are used (and with what relative frequency) in literature. He examines some of the most common– and several special cases (“The Ironic Ones”). And he explains his methodology and sources… all in the context of a lovely interactive data visualization.

It’s as cool as hell: “Comparisons as Predictable as the Sunrise,” from @pudding.cool.

* James Geary

###

As we agree with Steve Martin that “a day without sunshine is like, you know, night,” we might recall that it was on this date in 1789 that Richard Kirwan published his essay in support of the phlogiston theory (the belief, that dates to alchemical times, in the existence of a fire-like element (dubbed “phlogiston”) contained within combustible bodies and released during burning. Kirwan was among the last of its advocates.

A well-regarded scientist in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Kirwan met and corresponded with Black, Lavoisier, Priestley, and Cavendish. Indeed, while scientific history remembers him as a defender of an incorrect theory, his work probably spurred Priestley and Lavoisier, who respectively discovered and named the actual elemental agent of combustion, oxygen.

But Kirwan is also remembered for a personal eccentricity (one of many) that led to some referring to him (all too poignantly) as “crazy as a bed bug”: he hated bugs (especially flies). Kirwan paid his servants a bounty for each one they killed.

source

A Statistical Examination of Similes in Popular Fiction

📰 Original title: Analysis of similes in literature

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/a-statistical-examination-of-similes-in-popular-fiction.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world

#literature #similes #fiction #literaryanalysis

A Statistical Examination of Similes in Popular Fiction

📰 Original title: Analysis of similes in literature

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/a-statistical-examination-of-similes-in-popular-fiction.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world

#literature #similes #fiction #literaryanalysis

A Statistical Examination of Similes in Popular Fiction

📰 Original title: Analysis of similes in literature

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/a-statistical-examination-of-similes-in-popular-fiction.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world

#literature #similes #fiction #literaryanalysis

A Statistical Examination of Similes in Popular Fiction

📰 Original title: Analysis of similes in literature

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/a-statistical-examination-of-similes-in-popular-fiction.html?utm_source=mastodon_social&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_social

#literature #similes #fiction #literaryanalysis

@thepudding has "pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives".

Here's what that revealed.

https://pudding.cool/2026/05/similes/

#dataviz #DataVisualization #language #writing #books #similes

@thepudding has "pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives".

Here's what that revealed.

https://pudding.cool/2026/05/similes/

#dataviz #DataVisualization #language #writing #books #similes

@thepudding has "pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives".

Here's what that revealed.

https://pudding.cool/2026/05/similes/

#dataviz #DataVisualization #language #writing #books #similes

@thepudding has "pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives".

Here's what that revealed.

https://pudding.cool/2026/05/similes/

#dataviz #DataVisualization #language #writing #books #similes

@thepudding has "pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives".

Here's what that revealed.

https://pudding.cool/2026/05/similes/

#dataviz #DataVisualization #language #writing #books #similes

#TheImportantThing is to #Maintain a #SenseOfPerspective with a #SenseOfProportionControl...

For the #Proportionality...!

#PoweredBy: #FloofsAndSparkles with #ThePowerOfMetaphor, and #TheKnowledge of #Similes and #Metaphors - and #TheDifference between #Them...

#Oh, and #TheDifference between #Sarcasm and #Irony, which is #CompletelyWasted on #ManyAmericans; #Because... #Reasons...

#Reasons and #TheFact that #ManyOfThem are #SoIncrediblyStupid...

#JustLike #TheGhostOfMisterDen and "his" #DeadInstance with the #FeralChildren and #AngryIncels that can't #Stop #Plagiarising #OtherPeople's #Fakebook / #RedditPosts for #ZeroViews...

#DontPanic; #NoOneCares...

🧙:fediverse:🤖:wolfparty:​🤖:fediverse:🧙 | 🚚​🦹🛻🦄🛻🦹🚚

https://vmst.io/@PSiReN/110493738339520325

#BeingLegal #StayingLegal #StillLegal #AsOpposedTo #AllTheFraud #TheFediverseRemembers #TrueFacts #MyDataIsMyData #MyDataIsStillMyData

My similes

Matt challenged us to complete this sentence: As unmotivated as…

As unmotivated as…

… a kitty in clean laundry.

… a DOGE team member asked to do actual accounting work.

… a man, going through his twelfth divorce, answering questions about the benefits of child support payments.

… a cat taking medication

… an author with writers’ block

#cats #similes

My similes

Matt challenged us to complete this sentence: As unmotivated as…

As unmotivated as…

… a kitty in clean laundry.

… a DOGE team member asked to do actual accounting work.

… a man, going through his twelfth divorce, answering questions about the benefits of child support payments.

… a cat taking medication

… an author with writers’ block

#cats #similes

My similes

Matt challenged us to complete this sentence: As unmotivated as…

As unmotivated as…

… a kitty in clean laundry.

… a DOGE team member asked to do actual accounting work.

… a man, going through his twelfth divorce, answering questions about the benefits of child support payments.

… a cat taking medication

… an author with writers’ block

#cats #similes

My similes

Matt challenged us to complete this sentence: As unmotivated as…

As unmotivated as…

… a kitty in clean laundry.

… a DOGE team member asked to do actual accounting work.

… a man, going through his twelfth divorce, answering questions about the benefits of child support payments.

… a cat taking medication

… an author with writers’ block

#cats #similes

Similes Countdown (longplay) for the ZX81

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4D6qPLjUNY

#SimilesCountdown #ZX81 #Educational #EducationalGame #Edutainment #Education #Quiz #Similes #Simile #Longplay #AVCSoftware

Similes Countdown (longplay) for the ZX81

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4D6qPLjUNY

#SimilesCountdown #ZX81 #Educational #EducationalGame #Edutainment #Education #Quiz #Similes #Simile #Longplay #AVCSoftware

https://specstories.substack.com/p/figures-of-speech

#FiguresOfSpeech

These #RhetoricalDevices add color and vividness to written or spoken words, making them more engaging and memorable.
#Similes #Metaphors #Personification #Hyperbole #Onomatopoeia #Alliteration #Symbolism #Irony #Oxymoron #Allegory

#speculativeencounters #writingcommunity #substack #writersofinstagram #stories #plotting #storytelling #writingcommunity

https://specstories.substack.com/p/figures-of-speech

#FiguresOfSpeech

These #RhetoricalDevices add color and vividness to written or spoken words, making them more engaging and memorable.
#Similes #Metaphors #Personification #Hyperbole #Onomatopoeia #Alliteration #Symbolism #Irony #Oxymoron #Allegory

#speculativeencounters #writingcommunity #substack #writersofinstagram #stories #plotting #storytelling #writingcommunity

https://specstories.substack.com/p/figures-of-speech

#FiguresOfSpeech

These #RhetoricalDevices add color and vividness to written or spoken words, making them more engaging and memorable.
#Similes #Metaphors #Personification #Hyperbole #Onomatopoeia #Alliteration #Symbolism #Irony #Oxymoron #Allegory

#speculativeencounters #writingcommunity #substack #writersofinstagram #stories #plotting #storytelling #writingcommunity

https://specstories.substack.com/p/figures-of-speech

#FiguresOfSpeech

These #RhetoricalDevices add color and vividness to written or spoken words, making them more engaging and memorable.
#Similes #Metaphors #Personification #Hyperbole #Onomatopoeia #Alliteration #Symbolism #Irony #Oxymoron #Allegory

#speculativeencounters #writingcommunity #substack #writersofinstagram #stories #plotting #storytelling #writingcommunity

During my brief foray into the world of #ELA #education, I found it helpful to give my students a breakdown of some of the most common #metaphors and #similes which easily grow into #symbols and hint at #theme.

So, a few years later, I decided to write about it - because why not?

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part One)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-one/

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part Two)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-two/

#LiteraryDevices #education #teacher #language #writing

During my brief foray into the world of #ELA #education, I found it helpful to give my students a breakdown of some of the most common #metaphors and #similes which easily grow into #symbols and hint at #theme.

So, a few years later, I decided to write about it - because why not?

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part One)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-one/

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part Two)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-two/

#LiteraryDevices #education #teacher #language #writing

During my brief foray into the world of #ELA #education, I found it helpful to give my students a breakdown of some of the most common #metaphors and #similes which easily grow into #symbols and hint at #theme.

So, a few years later, I decided to write about it - because why not?

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part One)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-one/

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part Two)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-two/

#LiteraryDevices #education #teacher #language #writing

During my brief foray into the world of #ELA #education, I found it helpful to give my students a breakdown of some of the most common #metaphors and #similes which easily grow into #symbols and hint at #theme.

So, a few years later, I decided to write about it - because why not?

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part One)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-one/

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part Two)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-two/

#LiteraryDevices #education #teacher #language #writing

During my brief foray into the world of #ELA #education, I found it helpful to give my students a breakdown of some of the most common #metaphors and #similes which easily grow into #symbols and hint at #theme.

So, a few years later, I decided to write about it - because why not?

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part One)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-one/

"Raining in the Dark Cave of My Winter Car (Part Two)" - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-in-the-dark-cave-of-my-winter-car-part-two/

#LiteraryDevices #education #teacher #language #writing

Anybody ever heard/used the phrase "smile like a cheeseburger"? If yes, define please!

#words
#idioms
#phrases
#similes
#language
#WordNerds

Anybody ever heard/used the phrase "smile like a cheeseburger"? If yes, define please!

#words
#idioms
#phrases
#similes
#language
#WordNerds

Anybody ever heard/used the phrase "smile like a cheeseburger"? If yes, define please!

#words
#idioms
#phrases
#similes
#language
#WordNerds

Anybody ever heard/used the phrase "smile like a cheeseburger"? If yes, define please!

#words
#idioms
#phrases
#similes
#language
#WordNerds

Anybody ever heard/used the phrase "smile like a cheeseburger"? If yes, define please!

#words
#idioms
#phrases
#similes
#language
#WordNerds

Some similes and metaphors come up over and over in literature, poetry, pop songs, and the visual arts. Most lend themselves just as easily to larger uses like symbolism theme-ish stuff. In this post, I look at a few easy examples suitable for the classroom.

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car (Part Two)" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car-part-two

#metaphors #similes #LiteraryDevices #ELA #symbolism #teacher #edutooter @edutooters

Some similes and metaphors come up over and over in literature, poetry, pop songs, and the visual arts. Most lend themselves just as easily to larger uses like symbolism theme-ish stuff. In this post, I look at a few easy examples suitable for the classroom.

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car (Part Two)" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car-part-two

#metaphors #similes #LiteraryDevices #ELA #symbolism #teacher #edutooter @edutooters

Some similes and metaphors come up over and over in literature, poetry, pop songs, and the visual arts. Most lend themselves just as easily to larger uses like symbolism theme-ish stuff. In this post, I look at a few easy examples suitable for the classroom.

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car (Part Two)" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car-part-two

#metaphors #similes #LiteraryDevices #ELA #symbolism #teacher #edutooter @edutooters

Some similes and metaphors come up over and over in literature, poetry, pop songs, and the visual arts. Most lend themselves just as easily to larger uses like symbolism theme-ish stuff. In this post, I look at a few easy examples suitable for the classroom.

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car (Part Two)" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car-part-two

#metaphors #similes #LiteraryDevices #ELA #symbolism #teacher #edutooter @edutooters

Some similes and metaphors come up over and over in literature, poetry, pop songs, and the visual arts. Most lend themselves just as easily to larger uses like symbolism theme-ish stuff. In this post, I look at a few easy examples suitable for the classroom.

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car (Part Two)" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car-part-two

#metaphors #similes #LiteraryDevices #ELA #symbolism #teacher #edutooter @edutooters

There are a dozen or so metaphors and symbols so common as to constitute the burgers, fries, and chicken strips on any literary devices menu...

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car

#LiteraryDevices #metaphors #similes #symbolism #ELA #teachers #edutooters @edutooters

There are a dozen or so metaphors and symbols so common as to constitute the burgers, fries, and chicken strips on any literary devices menu...

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car

#LiteraryDevices #metaphors #similes #symbolism #ELA #teachers #edutooters @edutooters

There are a dozen or so metaphors and symbols so common as to constitute the burgers, fries, and chicken strips on any literary devices menu...

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car

#LiteraryDevices #metaphors #similes #symbolism #ELA #teachers #edutooters @edutooters

There are a dozen or so metaphors and symbols so common as to constitute the burgers, fries, and chicken strips on any literary devices menu...

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car

#LiteraryDevices #metaphors #similes #symbolism #ELA #teachers #edutooters @edutooters

There are a dozen or so metaphors and symbols so common as to constitute the burgers, fries, and chicken strips on any literary devices menu...

"Raining In The Dark Cave Of My Winter Car" -

https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/raining-dark-cave-my-winter-car

#LiteraryDevices #metaphors #similes #symbolism #ELA #teachers #edutooters @edutooters

Like A Metaphor (Compared for the Very First Time) - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/metaphor
#ELA #metaphors #similes #teachers #edutooter @edutooters

Like A Metaphor (Compared for the Very First Time) - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/metaphor
#ELA #metaphors #similes #teachers #edutooter @edutooters

Like A Metaphor (Compared for the Very First Time) - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/metaphor
#ELA #metaphors #similes #teachers #edutooter @edutooters

Like A Metaphor (Compared for the Very First Time) - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/metaphor
#ELA #metaphors #similes #teachers #edutooter @edutooters

Like A Metaphor (Compared for the Very First Time) - https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/metaphor
#ELA #metaphors #similes #teachers #edutooter @edutooters

My poem "Shells"

Thank you for reading this.

Poem text link:
https://allpoetry.com/poem/16891191-Shells-by-Robert-J.-Tiess

#poem #poems #poetry #poetrylovers #poetrycommunity #readingcommunity #naturelovers #nature #oceans #ocean #sea #beaches #words #meaning #similes #metaphors

My poem "Shells"

Thank you for reading this.

Poem text link:
https://allpoetry.com/poem/16891191-Shells-by-Robert-J.-Tiess

#poem #poems #poetry #poetrylovers #poetrycommunity #readingcommunity #naturelovers #nature #oceans #ocean #sea #beaches #words #meaning #similes #metaphors