Similes Dictionary

Packed with more than 16,000 imaginative, colorful phrases—from “abandoned as a used Kleenex” to “quiet as an eel swimming in oil”—this reference will help any politician, writer, or lover of language find the perfect simile, be it original or banal, verbose or succinct. Citing more than 2,000 sources—from the Bible, Socrates, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and H. L. Mencken to popular movies, music, and television shows—the Simile Dictionary covers hundreds of subjects broken into thematic categories that include topics such as virtue, anger, age, ambition, importance, and youth, helping readers find the fitting phrase quickly and easily. Perfect for setting the atmosphere, making a point, and or helping spin a tale with economy, intelligence, and ingenuity, the similes found in this collection, where pithy and poetic sayings are “as plentiful as blackberries” (Shakespeare) and quotes are “as useful as a Swiss army knife” (anonymous), will inspire anyone.

Elyse Sommer is the author or editor of numerous titles, including Discovering Literature, The Kids’ World Almanac of Music, Metaphors Dictionary, and Strategies for Reading and Arguing About Literature. She is the editor, publisher, and chief critic of the online theater magazine Curtainup.com. She lives in Forest Hills, New York.