FIGURES OF SPEECH EXAMPLES
ALLUSION
Casanova was a real Romeo with the ladies. (a true romantic hero)
Chocolate was my Achilles' heel. (my weakness)
This place is like a Garden of Eden. (the paradise God made for Adam and Eve).
He is a Solomon when it comes to making decisions. (This refers to the story of King Solomon).
It is raining so hard, I hope it doesn't rain for 40 days and 40 nights. (This refers to the story of Noah and the ark he built)
ANADIPLOSIS
Casanova was a real Romeo with the ladies. (a true romantic hero)
Chocolate was my Achilles' heel. (my weakness)
This place is like a Garden of Eden. (the paradise God made for Adam and Eve).
He is a Solomon when it comes to making decisions. (This refers to the story of King Solomon).
It is raining so hard, I hope it doesn't rain for 40 days and 40 nights. (This refers to the story of Noah and the ark he built)
ANADIPLOSIS
Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. — Star Wars.
I know what I like and I like what I know. (an example both of anadiplosis and antimetabole).
Talent is an adornment; an adornment is also a concealment.
Talent is an adornment; an adornment is also a concealment.
To be persuasive, We must be believable, to be believable
When I give, I give myself. (Song of Myself, by Walt Whitman, 1892)
When I win, I win big! (big time: inf. to the highest extent)
When you love, love with all your heart.
ANALOGY
A diplomat is someone / a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a (nice) way, that you actually (will) look forward to going there / the trip.
A diplomat / politician is a person / gentleman / fellow who can tell you to go to hell so that you look forward to the trip / and make you look forward to the trip.
If you live each day as if / though it was / were your last, some day you'll most certainly be right. Steve Jobs
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have/get your way.
Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.
Management is nothing more than motivating other people.
You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question.' (Albert Camus)
A problem is a chance for you to do your best.
Depression, as far as I'm concerned, is just a waste of time.
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have / get your way.
Desire is the starting point of all achievement.
Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.
Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.
ANAPHORA
People understand me so poorly that they don't even understand my complaint about them not understanding me. Søren Kierkegaard
We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.
What's best for you may be entirely / totally different than / from what's best for someone else. What's nearest the heart is nearest the mouth.
(In order) for there to be a change, it would be necessary for there to be/reach/exist a satisfactory agreement on this point for all parties involved (in the peace process).
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present; In order for you to find a job, people need to know you're looking.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Life moves pretty fast. If you don'
(I agree that) In order for a second referendum to be meaningful it would be necessary for there to be a clear understanding of the terms on which we would leave the European Union. (Brexit: abbreviation for the term “British exit”; “Grexit”)
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.
(Unfortunately), I was in the wrong place at the wrong time on the wrong day.
I want my money right here, right now, all right ?
Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway.
Some people try to get you out of slavery for you to be their slave. Mike Tyson
There can be differences of opinion without there being personal differences.
At the end of the day, life is about being happy being who you are. Kim Kardashian
Not being able to govern events, I govern myself." - Michel de Montaigne
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. George Bernard Shaw
ANALOGY
A diplomat is someone / a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a (nice) way, that you actually (will) look forward to going there / the trip.
A diplomat / politician is a person / gentleman / fellow who can tell you to go to hell so that you look forward to the trip / and make you look forward to the trip.
If you live each day as if / though it was / were your last, some day you'll most certainly be right. Steve Jobs
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have/get your way.
Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.
Management is nothing more than motivating other people.
You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question.' (Albert Camus)
A problem is a chance for you to do your best.
Depression, as far as I'm concerned, is just a waste of time.
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have / get your way.
Desire is the starting point of all achievement.
Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.
Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.
ANAPHORA
People understand me so poorly that they don't even understand my complaint about them not understanding me. Søren Kierkegaard
We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.
What's best for you may be entirely / totally different than / from what's best for someone else. What's nearest the heart is nearest the mouth.
(In order) for there to be a change, it would be necessary for there to be/reach/exist a satisfactory agreement on this point for all parties involved (in the peace process).
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present; In order for you to find a job, people need to know you're looking.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Life moves pretty fast. If you don'
(I agree that) In order for a second referendum to be meaningful it would be necessary for there to be a clear understanding of the terms on which we would leave the European Union. (Brexit: abbreviation for the term “British exit”; “Grexit”)
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.
(Unfortunately), I was in the wrong place at the wrong time on the wrong day.
I want my money right here, right now, all right ?
Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway.
Some people try to get you out of slavery for you to be their slave. Mike Tyson
There can be differences of opinion without there being personal differences.
At the end of the day, life is about being happy being who you are. Kim Kardashian
Not being able to govern events, I govern myself." - Michel de Montaigne
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. George Bernard Shaw
If we were not all so interested in ourselves, life would be so uninteresting that none of us would be able to endure it. Arthur Schopenhauer
Buying diapers for the baby, feeding the baby, playing with the baby: This is what your life is when you have a baby.
Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do.
You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life.
Buying diapers for the baby, feeding the baby, playing with the baby: This is what your life is when you have a baby.
Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do.
You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life.
They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.
It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it. Dale Carnegie
By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. Socrates
Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.
(I'm free). Do what you love, Do it often, And do it unapologetically.
Do what you love. Don't let anybody tell you not to do it. Don't (ever) let anybody tell you what to do (with you life. / or how to live it.)
Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
No pain no gain. No bees, no honey; no work, no money.
Our life is what our thoughts make it. Marcus Aurelius
Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.
(I'm free). Do what you love, Do it often, And do it unapologetically.
Do what you love. Don't let anybody tell you not to do it. Don't (ever) let anybody tell you what to do (with you life. / or how to live it.)
Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
No pain no gain. No bees, no honey; no work, no money.
Our life is what our thoughts make it. Marcus Aurelius
One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic. Joseph Stalin
I want my money right now, right here, all right?
From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, A Tale of Two Cities (By Charles Dickens)
My life is my purpose. My life is my goal. My life is my inspiration.
(It's funny how) When it comes to giving advice, I can tell you a lot; when it comes to helping myself (my problems) however, that becomes an entirely different matter / I just don't know what to do with myself.
You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.
If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse.
If you really WANT to do something, you WILL find a way. Otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.
You're not what you think you are but what you think, you are. (Shakespeare)
From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
Lord, we know what we are, but not what we may be.
The more laws, the more offenders.
The more you have / get the more you want. Conversely / On the other hand (en cambio), the less you need, the more you have.
Whenever you need me wherever you need me I'll be there for you.
Being shy makes life ten times harder. No doubt. You have to struggle to do things that other peole find so easy. However, being shy teaches you so much about empathy, observing and understanding.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!
Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press.
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall never surrender. Winston Churchill (1940)
We cut taxes. We cut taxes for 95% of working families. We cut taxes for small businesses. We cut taxes for first-time homebuyers. We cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children. We cut taxes for eight million Americans paying for college.
Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. Martin Luther King Jr. (In August, 1963). In all, King’s speech contains eight examples of anaphora.
ANASTROPHE (Hyperbaton) It is classified as the figure of disorder.
Corie Bratter: Six days does not a week make. Paul Bratter: What does that mean? Corie Bratter: I don't know! (Barefoot in the Park, 1967)
(My fellow Americans), Ask not what your country can do for you; (instead) ask what you / but what you can do for your country.
May you ennoble your present by recapturing the joys of the past.
May the force be with you.
Go you must, but sorry you will be. (Yoda, Star Wars)
Not only is there no God, but try finding a plumber on Sunday.
One swallow does not a summer make, nor one fine day. Similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy.
An allusion to the return of migrating swallows at the start of the summer season. From a remark by Aristotle (384 BCE – 322 BCE)
Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer. (Winston Churchill)
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall. (Shakespeare)
ANTANACLASIS (kind of anaphora)
Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!
I was always game for any game.
If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired, with enthusiasm. (Vince Lombardi, American football coach)
People on the go . . . go for Coke.”—Coca Cola. (very busy and active)
Put out the light, then put out the light. (Othello)
We make the traveler's lot a lot easier. (advertising: Overseas National Airways)
We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately. Witticism (Benjamin Frankling)
ANTANAGOGE
Yes, I know I've lost my job, but I'm so looking forward to spending time at home.
I got in a car accident, but I was planning on getting a new car anyway.
I don't really like my job very much, mind you the salary is quite good
The downside of fame is the lack of freedom and the loss of anonymity; the upside (on the other hand), is the power to bring attention to different issues.
Walking to work takes twice as long as catching the bus, but at least I get to see pretty things like waterfalls and sunlight instead of the backs of the people in front of you.
Riding to work takes almost twice as long as driving, on the flipside / though, it's definitely healthier.
ANT(H)IMERIA
Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later; A problem is a chance for you to do your best; Do your best and keep learning, that's what I believe in; Like what you do, and then you will do your best; It's fun to be on the edge. I think you do your best work when you take chances, when you're not safe, when you're not in the middle of the road, at least for me, anyway; My father taught me not to overthink things, that nothing will ever be perfect, so just keep moving and do your best; Do right. Do your best. Treat others as you want to be treated.
If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best. M. Monroe. (as unpleasant, bad, or unsuccessful as it is possible for her to be).
My father taught me not to overthink things, that nothing will ever be perfect, so just keep moving and do your best.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/scott_eastwood_678984
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/scott_eastwood_678984
Like what you do, and then you will do your best.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/katherine_johnson_875699
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/katherine_johnson_875699
If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best. M. Monroe. (as unpleasant, bad, or unsuccessful as it is possible for her to be).
One of the most
familiar and well-known symbols in the world is the famous “Walking Fingers” symbol of the Yellow Pages.
Surprisingly, neither the symbol nor the Yellow Pages name are protected
by copyright or federal trademark registration.
Let your fingers do the walking.
Talk the talk, walk the walk. Also, Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk. (Supporting what you say, not just with words, but also through action)
I think less is more when it comes to kissing in the movies. Julia Roberts
I'm down for adventure and up for anything (1. to accept or agree to something, 2. available for.); I'm down for anything.
I'm a homebody, really, when it comes down to it.
When it / you comes (right) down to it or when you come down to it for emphasis, when you are giving a general statement or conclusion. (after all is said and done, at the end, bottom line, in the last analysis, to sum it all, al final, en ultima instancia)
It's a no-brainer for me that at some point our cars will have the ability to drive themselves. (something such as a decision that is very easy or obvious: The decision was a complete no-brainer.
Let your fingers do the walking.
Talk the talk, walk the walk. Also, Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk. (Supporting what you say, not just with words, but also through action)
I think less is more when it comes to kissing in the movies. Julia Roberts
I'm down for adventure and up for anything (1. to accept or agree to something, 2. available for.); I'm down for anything.
I'm a homebody, really, when it comes down to it.
When it / you comes (right) down to it or when you come down to it for emphasis, when you are giving a general statement or conclusion. (after all is said and done, at the end, bottom line, in the last analysis, to sum it all, al final, en ultima instancia)
I'm a homebody, really, when it comes down to it.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/richie_sambora_665999
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/richie_sambora_665999
It's a no-brainer for me that at some point our cars will have the ability to drive themselves. (something such as a decision that is very easy or obvious: The decision was a complete no-brainer.
Searching online is no longer “searching.” Now we “Google.” (and we blog)
Success is never getting to the bottom of your to-do list.
There is simply too much corruption, too much money available for the taking. (see the asking)
How do you know when an -ing word, a gerund, should be treated as a noun? If you can substitute a noun with a meaning close to the -ing word, pair it with a possessive:
I hopeme / my reminding you about the deadline isn’t annoying. (my reminder)
I thinkme / my leaving solves the problem. (my departure)
Please make your bed withoutme / my having to remind you. (my need)
Yeah, you keep lyin’ when you oughta be truthin’. You keep samin’ when you oughta be a changin’. Now, what’s right is right but you ain’t been right yet.
Sinatra’s song has invented verbs like “truthing” to mirror lying and “saming” to mirror changing.
You won't go. And that's final
used to show that you are certain you will not change your decision about something:
This woman is innocent - end of story.
something you say when you think that the opinion you have just expressed about something is correct and that there is no other way of thinking about it:
I want no ifs, ands, or buts – give Sam his game back right now. (excuses)
This is what I want,' and there is no ifs ands or buts about it. It's a communication (factor).
ANTIMETABOLE (chiasmus)
(My fellow Americans), ask not what your country can do for you, ask what / but what / (but) ask instead what you can do for your country.
He who questions training only trains himself at asking questions.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
Do what you love and love what you do. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it.
Do what you want to do, say what you want to say, because those who matter don’t mind, and those who do mind don’t matter.
I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter entirely / altogether.
If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
It is nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
It is not about the years in your life, but about the life in your years.
Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
The best way to have what you love / want, is to love / want what you have.
You can't get experience without a job, and you can't get a job without experience.
You stood up for America, now America must stand up for you.
CHIASMUS
Success is never getting to the bottom of your to-do list.
There is simply too much corruption, too much money available for the taking. (see the asking)
How do you know when an -ing word, a gerund, should be treated as a noun? If you can substitute a noun with a meaning close to the -ing word, pair it with a possessive:
I hope
I think
Please make your bed without
Yeah, you keep lyin’ when you oughta be truthin’. You keep samin’ when you oughta be a changin’. Now, what’s right is right but you ain’t been right yet.
Sinatra’s song has invented verbs like “truthing” to mirror lying and “saming” to mirror changing.
You won't go. And that's final
used to show that you are certain you will not change your decision about something:
This woman is innocent - end of story.
something you say when you think that the opinion you have just expressed about something is correct and that there is no other way of thinking about it:
I want no ifs, ands, or buts – give Sam his game back right now. (excuses)
This is what I want,' and there is no ifs ands or buts about it. It's a communication (factor).
ANTIMETABOLE (chiasmus)
(My fellow Americans), ask not what your country can do for you, ask what / but what / (but) ask instead what you can do for your country.
He who questions training only trains himself at asking questions.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
Do what you love and love what you do. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it.
Do what you want to do, say what you want to say, because those who matter don’t mind, and those who do mind don’t matter.
I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter entirely / altogether.
If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
It is nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
It is not about the years in your life, but about the life in your years.
Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
The best way to have what you love / want, is to love / want what you have.
You can't get experience without a job, and you can't get a job without experience.
You stood up for America, now America must stand up for you.
CHIASMUS
I meant what I said and I said what I meant.
The key is to fit English (learning) into your life(style), your routine, not try to fit your life into English.
The key is not to fit your life into English, but (rather) to to try to fit English into your life.
The key is not to fit your life into English, but (rather) to to try to fit English into your life.
We do what we like and we like what we do. (advertising)
(We should) eat to live, not live to eat.
ANTITHESIS (see oximoron)
(In order) For there to be betrayal, there would have to have been trust first.
(There are) so many things that we wish we had done yesterday, so few that we feel like doing today.
A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.
A man who won't die for something is not fit to live.
I'd rather annoy with the truth than please with adulation.
If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.
If you can't find somethin' to live for, you'd better find somethin' to die for.
If we were not all so interested in ourselves, life would be so uninteresting that none of us would be able to endure it. Arthur Schopenhauer
From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
What you plant now, you will harvest later.
If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best. M. Monroe. see "do your best".
(Interestingly), the weaker the body the more it demands; the stronger it is the more it obeys. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Being superstitious is for ignorants, but not being superstitious is bad luck.
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n (Paradise Lost, by John Milton)
By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.
(It has been my experience that) folks who have no vices have very few virtues.
Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends.
I think less is more when it comes to kissing in the movies. Julia Roberts
If you want to learn, then teach.
You can't be happy unless you're unhappy sometimes.
You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.
To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a
little. To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to
understand her at all.
Dying is a part of life, that is what matters, and that's the bottom line.
In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.
Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else's can shorten it.
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Confucius
Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.
Life needs to be like a roller-coaster ride with ups and downs. Otherwise, it's not exciting.
Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing. Goethe
Many are called, but few are chosen.
Many say that true happiness comes from realizing you are no longer unhappy and from realizing the miracle of being alive.
My whole thing is to agree to disagree and to have respect.
Nothing puzzles me more than the time and space; and yet nothing troubles me less.
Rude words bring about sadness, but kind words inspire joy.
(Setting foot on the moon may be) a small step for a man (but) a giant leap for (all) mankind.
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they leave.
Sorrow is so easy to express and yet so hard to tell.
Speech is silver, but Silence is Gold.
the less you need, the more you have.
The more haste, the less speed.
The more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him. Arthur Schopenhauer
The weaker the body the more it demands; the stronger it is the more it obeys. (Rosseau)
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing were / is a miracle. The other is as though everything were / is a miracle. What do you think about this? A. Einstein
Sure, you could live like nothing is a miracle. But what’s the fun in that? If you live like everything is a miracle, you have a reason to pause, to appreciate, and to marvel.
To marry is / means to halve your rights and double your / the duties. Schopenhauer
To err is human; to forgive divine.
War is hell … but peace is fucking=>frigging=>freaking (very) boring.
Women always worry about the things that men forget; men always worry about the things women remember.
APPOSITION (see parenthesis)
The most important thing is to enjoy your life, to be happy, it's all that matters. A. Hepburn
Being self-employed, (that is to say), a freelance, is a very stressful thing, as everyday is a roller coaster of emotions, with ups and downs.
ELLIPSIS
It's the people who try to be clever who never are (clever): the people who are clever never think of trying to be (clever).
Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and (get) wise too late.
Happiness (is) only real when (is) shared
Sometimes it takes sadness to know happiness, noise to appreciate silence, and absence to value presence.
When living abroad, it's essential for you and your loved ones to have an emergency plan.
The trick to avoiding loneliness when living abroad is to establish a balanced routine that works for you. It is a given (fact) that when you move abroad, you will want to do everything at once, but it is essential to ensure you get enough rest, eat healthily and take time to engage in leisure activities you enjoy.
Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do.
I'm down for adventure and up for anything.
Love is an ideal thing, marriage (is) a real thing. Goethe
The average person thinks he isn't (average).
War is hell … but peace is fucking=>frigging=>freaking (very) boring.
Women always worry about the things that men forget; men always worry about the things women remember.
Men always want to be a woman's first love; women like to be a man's last romance.
When it comes to being happy, there's no right or wrong. It's just a battle between your happiness and their judgement.
APPOSITION (see parenthesis)
The most important thing is to enjoy your life, to be happy, it's all that matters. A. Hepburn
Being self-employed, (that is to say), a freelance, is a very stressful thing, as everyday is a roller coaster of emotions, with ups and downs.
ELLIPSIS
It's the people who try to be clever who never are (clever): the people who are clever never think of trying to be (clever).
Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and (get) wise too late.
Happiness (is) only real when (is) shared
Sometimes it takes sadness to know happiness, noise to appreciate silence, and absence to value presence.
When living abroad, it's essential for you and your loved ones to have an emergency plan.
The trick to avoiding loneliness when living abroad is to establish a balanced routine that works for you. It is a given (fact) that when you move abroad, you will want to do everything at once, but it is essential to ensure you get enough rest, eat healthily and take time to engage in leisure activities you enjoy.
Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do.
I'm down for adventure and up for anything.
Love is an ideal thing, marriage (is) a real thing. Goethe
The average person thinks he isn't (average).
EPANALEPSIS
Blood will have blood. (as Shakespeare chillingly phrases it)
Common sense is not so common, (as Voltaire reminds us).
Man Is Wolf to Man. (The Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes)
Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put and end to mankind. John F. Kennedy.
An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. (Biblical lextalionis).
EUPHEMISM
ethnic cleansing (instead of genocide)
How is it possible to have a civil war? (not rude)
I don't like the word 'alcoholic'. I like to think of myself as an advanced drinker.
In many a case, the phrase ‘I’d like to get to know you better’ is a euphemism for "I want us to sleep together" or ‘I want us to f ....”
We're teaching our toddler how to go potty (Idiom/slang 1. US: to use the toilet: used by children or when talking to children; “Do you have to go potty?” Dora asked. 2. UK, slang (become insane): You poor thing: you must be going potty with worry.
He carved "Gone, but not forgotten" on the tombstone (deceased, dead person), (also: Met his/her maker, Gave up the ghost, Checked out, Knocked on heaven's door, Kicked the bucket / can; Passed (probably the most common euphemism in use today); Passed away / on; Expired; Departed; Crossed over; Faded away; Got his/her wings ...
Didn’t Make It. This is yet another one meaning that someone has died, although we tend to say that someone didn’t make it if they were in an accident or fighting an illness, as it suggests that somebody didn’t make it through something.
EPIPHORA (aka epistrophe)
You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
There is no Negro problem. There is only an American problem. Lyndon B. Johnson, March 15, 1965. (anaphora and epiphora)
HYPERBATON (see anastrophe)
HYPERBOLE
Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times. Mark Twain
Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination. Mark Twain
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. Ernest Hemingway
I've told you a million times not to call me a liar.
Everyone is always saying hello to Bob. It's like being married to a superstar!
HYPOPHORA
After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die.
(You know what) charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question.' (Albert Camus)
What's the difference between knowledge and wisdom? Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Sure, you could live like nothing is a miracle. But what’s the fun in that? If you live like everything is a miracle, you have a reason to pause, to appreciate, and to marvel.
Sure, you could live like nothing is a miracle. But what’s the fun in that? If you live like everything is a miracle, you have a reason to pause, to appreciate, and to marvel.
What made me take this trip to Africa? (Well), There is no quick explanation. Things got worse and worse and worse and pretty soon they were too complicated.
What's the point of working if you don't enjoy it / what you are doing? If you don't enjoy what you are doing you will never be good at it.
What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.
Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
Can you imagine a world without men? There'd no crime and lots of fat happy women.
How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must be education that does it.
(Do) you have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.
(Do you) Know what's weird? Day by day nothing seems to change. But pretty soon, everything's different.
What's the point of working if you don't enjoy it / what you are doing? If you don't enjoy what you are doing you will never be good at it.
What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.
Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
Can you imagine a world without men? There'd no crime and lots of fat happy women.
How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must be education that does it.
(Do) you have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.
(Do you) Know what's weird? Day by day nothing seems to change. But pretty soon, everything's different.
What's the definition of a will? It's a dead giveaway (complete, real, outright, utter, downright)
Is it better to be the lover or the loved one? Neither, if your cholesterol is over six hundred.
You wanna get rid of drug crime in this country? Fine, let's just get rid of all the drug laws.
What does it take to get you to the point where you have to kill your brother? It's biblical, it's huge. It's so personal.
What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.
What is it that makes us trust our judges? Their independence in office. (en el cargo). At the/my office (at work) vs in the/my office (room) vs in office (official)
What is it that really makes us, us? It's our collective intelligence. It's our ability to write things down, our language and our consciousness.
When you boil it all down, what does a man really need? Just a smoke and a cup of coffee.
Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it's the answer to everything. To Why am I here? To uselessness. It's the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it's a cactus.
Why is it better to love than to be loved? (firts off / to begin with), It is surer.
Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it's the answer to
everything. To 'Why am I here?' To uselessness. It's the streaming
reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be
astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down
the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even
if it's a cactus.
IRONY
Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.
Worrying works 90 percent of the things I worry about never (get to) happen.
Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.
I just love scrubbing the flor.
LITOTES
It might seem funny but I tell you what, Snoring / Lack of Sleep / Depression / Love / Life is no laughing matter (Calderon de la Barca)
Young lovers are kissing and an observer says: "I think they like each other."
To write is, indeed, no unpleasant employment.
Frank Sinatra is not a bad singer.
Selling a house in New York is not exactly a walk in the park, even without the real estate market being weak and uncertain today.
Taking care of / Caring for a houseful of active kids is no bed of roses.
METAPHORE
Make no mistake (about it), adolescence is a war. No one gets out unscathed.
Fashion is not just beauty, it's about good attitude.
Hope is a waking dream.
I am racking my brains to find out why he left without saying goodby to me.
Being self-employed, (that is to say), a freelance, is a very stressful thing, as everyday is a roller coaster of emotions, with ups and downs.
Mavericks are nonconformists. They pride themselves on going it alone.
My life's a bed of roses (a highly agreeable position, a comfortable or luxurious position / situation. It is often used in a negative context. Also see bowl of cherries
Taking care of / Caring for a houseful of active kids is no bed of roses.
Writing is nothing more than a guided dream.
OXYMORON (a compressed paradox or "contradiction in terms"). see antithesis
The sound(s) of silence. Simon & Garfunkel
A more general meaning of "contradiction in terms" or a two-word paradox: a near-miss (almost a hit); seriously funny; awfully pretty; awfully pretty; a deafening silence; an open secret; a tragic comedy; original copies; a love-hate relationship; absolutely unsure; friendly fire; old news; All the politicians agreed to disagree; unbiased opinion; awfully lucky to have survived the accident.
pretty ugly and awfully pretty (extremely, too much) are not oxymoron.
In this instance, "pretty" means "quite." Therefore, "pretty ugly" is NOT an oxymoron
Deep down (inside), I'm pretty superficial. I am a deeply superficial person. Andy Warhol
(Ralph), if you're gonna be a phony, you might as well be a real phony. (US inf. insincere person, not real, fake). See while you are at it (ya puestos)
* used for suggesting something when you cannot think of anything better to do
PARADOX
How am I supposed to gain experience if I'm constantly turned down for not having any?
You can't get experience without a job, and you can't get a job without experience.(catch22)
There are only two (great) tragedies in life: one is not getting what you want, and the other is getting it. Oscar Wilde
I can resist everything except / but temptation. Oscar Wilde
Many would be cowards if they dared.
I find nothing more depressing than optimism.
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. Animal Farm by George Orwell
(Interestingly), the weaker the body the more it demands; the stronger it is the more it obeys.
Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.
It is by universal misunderstanding that all agree. For if, by ill luck, people understood each other, they would never agree.
I have / I've a grand / great memory for forgetting (things). Robert Lewis Stevenson
(On/Upon reflection) I was never less alone than when by myself. (after thinking about something)
Deep down (inside), I'm pretty / deeply superficial . Humility is something I've always prided myself on.
If you are afraid of loneliness, don’t marry.
The more laws, the more offenders.
The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. Oscar Wilde
The chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions.
The surest way to be alone is to get married.
The more haste, the less speed
It is an interesting paradox that drinking a lot of water can often make you feel thirsty.
Without laws, we can have no freedom.
Cowards die many times before their deaths.
That building is a little bit big and pretty ugly.
A yawn may be defined as a silent yell.
We have to believe in free will. We have no choice.
Oxymoronic Humor
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.
I had to give up masochism — I was enjoying it too much.
I love mankind — it’s people I can’t stand.
Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering—and it's all over much too soon.
We sleep in separate rooms, we have dinner apart, we take separate vacations. We're doing everything we can to keep our marriage together.
Last month I blew $5,000 on a reincarnation seminar. I figured, hey, you only live once.
PARANOMASIA (PUNS, PUNNING, WORDPLAY) PLAY ON WORDS)
Did you guys hear the joke about the wall? It is hilarious, I am still trying to get over it.
Did you hear about these new reversible jackets? I'm excited to see how they turn out.
How do you think the unthinkable? With an itheberg!
Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway.
Marriage is a three ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering.
I was struggling to figure out how lightning works then it struck me.
Sleeping comes so naturally to me (that) I could do it with my eyes closed.
You can't blame gravity for falling in love.
Einstein developed a theory about space, and it was about time too
I was always game for any game. (To be willing to do something, to be ready for action, are you game?
So what if I don't know what apocalypse means!? It's not the end of the world!
Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming.
Dying is a part of life, that is what matters, and that's the bottom line.
This was the most unkindest cut of all. Antony describes the wound given to Caesar by his close friend Brutus (see also Brutus) in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
It's lonely at the top, but you do eat better.
Writing is nothing more than a guided dream.
When you get to think about it, the whole internet thing is a mega-tool for us to do something.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, don't take it serious(ly), its mysterious.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, don't take it serious(ly), its mysterious.
OXYMORON (a compressed paradox or "contradiction in terms"). see antithesis
The sound(s) of silence. Simon & Garfunkel
A more general meaning of "contradiction in terms" or a two-word paradox: a near-miss (almost a hit); seriously funny; awfully pretty; awfully pretty; a deafening silence; an open secret; a tragic comedy; original copies; a love-hate relationship; absolutely unsure; friendly fire; old news; All the politicians agreed to disagree; unbiased opinion; awfully lucky to have survived the accident.
pretty ugly and awfully pretty (extremely, too much) are not oxymoron.
In this instance, "pretty" means "quite." Therefore, "pretty ugly" is NOT an oxymoron
Deep down (inside), I'm pretty superficial. I am a deeply superficial person. Andy Warhol
(Ralph), if you're gonna be a phony, you might as well be a real phony. (US inf. insincere person, not real, fake). See while you are at it (ya puestos)
* used for suggesting something when you cannot think of anything better to do
You might (just) as well enjoy your money while you’ve got it; We may/might as well go home. There’s nothing more to do.
* used for telling someone to do something while they are doing something else
‘I’m just going to clean my boots.’ ‘Well, you can clean mine too while you’re at it.’
PARADOX
How am I supposed to gain experience if I'm constantly turned down for not having any?
You can't get experience without a job, and you can't get a job without experience.(catch22)
There are only two (great) tragedies in life: one is not getting what you want, and the other is getting it. Oscar Wilde
I can resist everything except / but temptation. Oscar Wilde
Many would be cowards if they dared.
I find nothing more depressing than optimism.
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. Animal Farm by George Orwell
(Interestingly), the weaker the body the more it demands; the stronger it is the more it obeys.
Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.
It is by universal misunderstanding that all agree. For if, by ill luck, people understood each other, they would never agree.
I have / I've a grand / great memory for forgetting (things). Robert Lewis Stevenson
(On/Upon reflection) I was never less alone than when by myself. (after thinking about something)
Deep down (inside), I'm pretty / deeply superficial . Humility is something I've always prided myself on.
If you are afraid of loneliness, don’t marry.
The more laws, the more offenders.
The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. Oscar Wilde
The chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions.
The surest way to be alone is to get married.
The more haste, the less speed
It is an interesting paradox that drinking a lot of water can often make you feel thirsty.
Not having a fashion is (also) a fashion; that's a paradox
Without laws, we can have no freedom.
Cowards die many times before their deaths.
That building is a little bit big and pretty ugly.
A yawn may be defined as a silent yell.
We have to believe in free will. We have no choice.
Oxymoronic Humor
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.
I had to give up masochism — I was enjoying it too much.
I love mankind — it’s people I can’t stand.
Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering—and it's all over much too soon.
We sleep in separate rooms, we have dinner apart, we take separate vacations. We're doing everything we can to keep our marriage together.
Last month I blew $5,000 on a reincarnation seminar. I figured, hey, you only live once.
PARANOMASIA (PUNS, PUNNING, WORDPLAY) PLAY ON WORDS)
What's the definition of a will? It's a dead giveaway (complete, real, outright, utter, downright)
Did you hear about these new reversible jackets? I'm excited to see how they turn out.
Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming.
How do you think the unthinkable? With an itheberg!
Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway.
Marriage is a three ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering.
I was struggling to figure out how lightning works then it struck me.
Sleeping comes so naturally to me (that) I could do it with my eyes closed.
You can't blame gravity for falling in love.
Einstein developed a theory about space, and it was about time too
I was always game for any game. (To be willing to do something, to be ready for action, are you game?
So what if I don't know what apocalypse means!? It's not the end of the world!
Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming.
PLEONASM
This was the most unkindest cut of all. Antony describes the wound given to Caesar by his close friend Brutus (see also Brutus) in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
It's lonely at the top, but you do eat better.
I do care about you. (do is used to emphasize that one does truly care)
I heard it with my own ears. I saw it with my own eyes.
She sees that you have arrived.
I find it impossible to fall in love (with a picture of someone I haven't even met).
I find it / it's impossible (for me) to read Proust.
I don't think anyone would disagree with the statement that the holidays are the toughest time of the year to eat healthy. Eating healthy during the holidays is tough!
Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else's can shorten it.
The reality is, more often than not, that people do find it difficult to change their behaviour.
RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
Are you serious?; You didn't think I would say yes to that, did you?; Do you want to be a failure for the rest of your life?; There's no point, is there?; Is this supposed to be some kind of a joke?
What's the point of working if you don't enjoy it / what you are doing? If you don't enjoy what you are doing you will never be good at it.
With all the violence on TV today, is it any wonder kids bring guns to school?
Sure, you could live like nothing is a miracle. But what’s the fun in that?
I find it impossible to fall in love (with a picture of someone I haven't even met).
I find it / it's impossible (for me) to read Proust.
I don't think anyone would disagree with the statement that the holidays are the toughest time of the year to eat healthy. Eating healthy during the holidays is tough!
Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else's can shorten it.
The reality is, more often than not, that people do find it difficult to change their behaviour.
RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
Are you serious?; You didn't think I would say yes to that, did you?; Do you want to be a failure for the rest of your life?; There's no point, is there?; Is this supposed to be some kind of a joke?
What's the point of working if you don't enjoy it / what you are doing? If you don't enjoy what you are doing you will never be good at it.
With all the violence on TV today, is it any wonder kids bring guns to school?
Sure, you could live like nothing is a miracle. But what’s the fun in that?
Rhetorical Questions That Have No Answers
What's the matter with kids today?; How many times do I have to tell you not to yell in the house?; Why me?; Who cares?; Why bother?; How should I know?
What do batteries run on?; What do chickens think we taste like?; Why do your feet smell and your nose runs?Phylosophical, rhetorical questions (that we'll never solve)
What is the meaning of life?
Why is there something rather than / instead of nothing?
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
Can you really experience anything objectively?: The problem of qualia: the notion that our surroundings can only be observed through the filter of our senses and the cogitations of our minds. Subsequently, your subjective experience of the world is unique. The universe can only be observed through a brain, and by virtue of that, can only be interpreted subjectively.
You need answers right now, don’t you / right?
RHYME
Everyone wants happiness. No one wants pain. But you can't have a rainbow, without (having) a little rain.
No bees, no honey; no work, no money.
No pain, no gain.
Everyone wants happiness. No one wants pain. But you can't have a rainbow, without (having) a little rain.
No bees, no honey; no work, no money.
No pain, no gain.
SIMILES
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.
Life is like a piano. What you get out of it (largely) depends (to a remarkable extent / entirely) on how you play it.
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.
Life is like a puzzle: half the fun is in trying to work it out.
Worry(ing) is like (sitting on) a rocking chair: it (will) gives you something to do / you can rock all you want, but never gets you anywhere / but it doesn't get you anywhere / but (it) gets you nowhere / but (it) won't get you anywhere.
Again, I emphasize you don't have to speak like a native in order to get your point across.
You don't have to speak like a native to get by, but it is a lot more fun if you can understand what locals are saying to each other as they pass by you on on the street!
(Doing) math(s) is like going to the gym for your brain / it's a workout for your brain, strengthens and sharpens your mind and it makes you smarter.
Living without philosophising is literally (like) having your eyes closed without ever trying to open them.
Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do.
Wealth is like sea-water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the same is true of / the same goes for fame.
Like most married couples we've had our ups and downs, but things are going fairly well lately /(right) now / but life's like that / but that's life, I guess.
To get divorced because love has died is like selling your car because it's run out of gas.
I find it impossible for me to read Proust / Henrry James, It's /That's / That would be like having no money and going to the Palace Hotel.
Studying neurobiology to understand humans is like studying ink to understand literature.
Life is like a piano. What you get out of it (largely) depends (to a remarkable extent / entirely) on how you play it.
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.
Life is like a puzzle: half the fun is in trying to work it out.
Worry(ing) is like (sitting on) a rocking chair: it (will) gives you something to do / you can rock all you want, but never gets you anywhere / but it doesn't get you anywhere / but (it) gets you nowhere / but (it) won't get you anywhere.
Again, I emphasize you don't have to speak like a native in order to get your point across.
You don't have to speak like a native to get by, but it is a lot more fun if you can understand what locals are saying to each other as they pass by you on on the street!
(Doing) math(s) is like going to the gym for your brain / it's a workout for your brain, strengthens and sharpens your mind and it makes you smarter.
Living without philosophising is literally (like) having your eyes closed without ever trying to open them.
Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do.
Wealth is like sea-water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the same is true of / the same goes for fame.
Like most married couples we've had our ups and downs, but things are going fairly well lately /(right) now / but life's like that / but that's life, I guess.
To get divorced because love has died is like selling your car because it's run out of gas.
I find it impossible for me to read Proust / Henrry James, It's /That's / That would be like having no money and going to the Palace Hotel.
Studying neurobiology to understand humans is like studying ink to understand literature.
A brain is like a muscle, it's something you should definitely train everyday; if you don't use it, you loose it.
Learning English is like learning to swim or play ball. We learn to swim by swimming, to play ball by plaing ball, and to speak English by speaking English.
Dating without wanting to get married is like shopping without (carrying) money. You either leave disappointed or take something that isn't yours.
Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching.
Work as if you didn't need the money Most of us work because we do need the money.
Arguing with the wife is a lot like trying to read the Terms of Use on the internet. In the end you just give up and go “I Agree”
Arguing with a woman is like reading the Software License Agreement. In the end, you ignore everything and click I agree.'
Having more than one website for your personal brand is (kind of) like having more than one wife. Neither will be happy. It could be fun for a while until you run out of money.
Everyone is always saying hello to Bob. It's like being married to a superstar!
Trust is like an eraser it gets smaller and smaller after every mistake.
Saving money is just like making money.
Talking to a communist is literally like talking to a (brick) Wall
Having a husband is literally like having a child!
Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp-post what it feels about dogs.
************************************************
* Comparing / To compare the albums is like trying to compare apples and oranges.
* Divorce is like an amputation. You survive it, but there's less of you. But sometimes it's like being handed a "gift"
*
*
* I imagined being a famous writer would be like being like J. Austen
* It's impossible to compare two bands. It would be like comparing two lovers
* *
*
*
*
*
* I find it's impossible for me to separate love and sex. Many years ago, I tried. It didn't work. Literally * I find it impossible for me to eliminate sugar completely * I find it impossible for me to both read and write stories containing upsetting scenes.
Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them
****************************************
A simile is an overt (easily seen) comparison between two dissimilar things, usually employs / using the word "like" or the word "as". A comparison between two unrelated things indicating a likeness between them
AS: Well-known símiles are: As busy as a bee * As different as night and day * As clear as mud (explanation) * (I'm) sure as death and taxes * She walked in as cool as a cucumber, as if nothing had happened * It is as hot as the sun in here! * It is as cold as ice in this room!
LIKE: I was so tired after running five miles yesterday that I slept like a log * They wore jeans, which made me stand out like a sore thumb * She smokes like a chimney *
A man / woman is like a tea bag. You can't tell how strong he is until you put him in hot wáter * Learning English is like learning to swim or play ball. We learn to swim by swimming, to play ball by plaing ball, and to speak English by speaking English * * Performance stands out like a ton of diamonds / like a sore thumb. Nonperformance can always be explained away
* * * * * * * *
It's impossible to compare two bands. It would be like comparing two lovers * I imagined being a famous writer would be like being like J. Austen * (I find it's impossible for me to read Proust / Henrry James), It's /That's / That would be like having no money and going to the Palace Hotel * It's kind of like having more than one wife. It could be fun for a while until you run out of money * To me, working out is literally like eating a meal or drinking water or breathing * To get divorced because love has gone / died, is like selling your car because it's run out of gas * I think women should have insight as to how men think. Just like men should have insight into how women think. (an understanding of the motivations behind one's thoughts or behavior) *
* explain away (1. failure, underachievement, bajo rendimiento) 2. try to justify, make excuses, to explain something so that it is no longer a problem; to invent reasons why something is unimportant, account for) * You will find it hard to explain away all these mistakes * Rather than face the truth, we try to explain it away * You can try to explain it away if you want, but that won't solve the problem. You can't just explain away all your problems *
************************************************************************Dating without wanting to get married is like shopping without (carrying) money. You either leave disappointed or take something that isn't yours.
Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching.
Work as if you didn't need the money Most of us work because we do need the money.
Arguing with the wife is a lot like trying to read the Terms of Use on the internet. In the end you just give up and go “I Agree”
Arguing with a woman is like reading the Software License Agreement. In the end, you ignore everything and click I agree.'
Having more than one website for your personal brand is (kind of) like having more than one wife. Neither will be happy. It could be fun for a while until you run out of money.
Everyone is always saying hello to Bob. It's like being married to a superstar!
Trust is like an eraser it gets smaller and smaller after every mistake.
Saving money is just like making money.
Talking to a communist is literally like talking to a (brick) Wall
Having a husband is literally like having a child!
Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp-post what it feels about dogs.
************************************************
* Comparing / To compare the albums is like trying to compare apples and oranges.
* Divorce is like an amputation. You survive it, but there's less of you. But sometimes it's like being handed a "gift"
*
*
* I imagined being a famous writer would be like being like J. Austen
* It's impossible to compare two bands. It would be like comparing two lovers
* *
*
*
*
*
* I find it's impossible for me to separate love and sex. Many years ago, I tried. It didn't work. Literally * I find it impossible for me to eliminate sugar completely * I find it impossible for me to both read and write stories containing upsetting scenes.
Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them
****************************************
A simile is an overt (easily seen) comparison between two dissimilar things, usually employs / using the word "like" or the word "as". A comparison between two unrelated things indicating a likeness between them
AS: Well-known símiles are: As busy as a bee * As different as night and day * As clear as mud (explanation) * (I'm) sure as death and taxes * She walked in as cool as a cucumber, as if nothing had happened * It is as hot as the sun in here! * It is as cold as ice in this room!
LIKE: I was so tired after running five miles yesterday that I slept like a log * They wore jeans, which made me stand out like a sore thumb * She smokes like a chimney *
A man / woman is like a tea bag. You can't tell how strong he is until you put him in hot wáter * Learning English is like learning to swim or play ball. We learn to swim by swimming, to play ball by plaing ball, and to speak English by speaking English * * Performance stands out like a ton of diamonds / like a sore thumb. Nonperformance can always be explained away
* * * * * * * *
It's impossible to compare two bands. It would be like comparing two lovers * I imagined being a famous writer would be like being like J. Austen * (I find it's impossible for me to read Proust / Henrry James), It's /That's / That would be like having no money and going to the Palace Hotel * It's kind of like having more than one wife. It could be fun for a while until you run out of money * To me, working out is literally like eating a meal or drinking water or breathing * To get divorced because love has gone / died, is like selling your car because it's run out of gas * I think women should have insight as to how men think. Just like men should have insight into how women think. (an understanding of the motivations behind one's thoughts or behavior) *
* explain away (1. failure, underachievement, bajo rendimiento) 2. try to justify, make excuses, to explain something so that it is no longer a problem; to invent reasons why something is unimportant, account for) * You will find it hard to explain away all these mistakes * Rather than face the truth, we try to explain it away * You can try to explain it away if you want, but that won't solve the problem. You can't just explain away all your problems *
(As) Likely as not (very probably), the child you can do the least with will do the most to make you proud.
.
In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you.
get through to so: Make understand (hacer ver, abrir los ojos)| get through (sth): insep | informal (ordeal: survive) | superar. |
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario