Cast-iron sun
A surprising image, as if the sun itself were cast in Vulcan's smithy, a great sizzling shield of liquified iron.
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Chests as broad as horses
One of several heart-warming accounts of Rory Stewart's random encounters with British soldiers in Afghanistan.
They always show him and...
Dark and small
What a powerful simile, conveying something inward-turning and dangerous through its vivid portrayal of cranial size as a small, corroded...
Faces like NO ENTRY signs
Another example of Logue’s easy use of contemporary images to bring us up close and personal to the battle beach...
As fast as …
How fast can a pattering heart beat? As fast as water can drip before it starts dribbling. You can't quantify...
As large as …
An unusual simile for size, here referring to bubbles. Bubbles feature largely in Tarka the Otter, often blown by the...
Give me Irwine every time
A fine pair of metaphors for the differing effects of two men's company - no doubt with whom I'd rather...
The feeling of a cur
Mrs Glegg, as you can see from this simile, is not the most empathic or kind of characters. Here she...
Potent as…
I vote for this to enter standard speech, even if you question the power of a pope in modern times....
As huge as …
Mervyn Peake is a fount of original similes and metaphors. Given the granite-gothic ambiance of Gormenghast, it makes sense that...
As secular as…
A refreshing simile, surprising in its flavour, likening secularity to ice cream.
'Father saw himself as part of...
The garment of silence
The hum of insects, bees buzzing about the flowers, can be one of the most soothing of sounds and George...
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