As.. good.. as

1. As.. good.. as Similarities . . . . .

2. Comparison As … As • as a duck takes to water easily and naturally. (Informal.) • She took to singing just as a duck takes to water. • The baby adapted to bottle-feeding as aduck takes to water.

3. as a (general) rule usually; almost always. • He can be found in his office as a general rule. • As a general rule, Jane plays golf on Wednesdays. • As a rule, things tend to get less busy after supper time.

4. Continued …. • as a last resort as the last choice; • if everything else fails. Call the doctor at home only as a lastresort. • As a lastresort, she will perform surgery.

5. as alike as (two) peas in a pod • very similar. (Compare this with like (two) peas in a pod.) • The twins are as alike as two peas in a pod. • These two books are as alike as peas in a pod.

6. as an aside as • As a comment; as a comment that is not supposed to be heard by everyone. • At the wedding, Tom said as an aside, “The bride doesn’t look well.” • At the ballet, Billy said as an aside to his mother, “I hope the dancers fall off the stage!”

7. as a matter of fact • actually; in addition to what has been said; in reference to what has been said. (See also matter-of-fact.) • As a matter of fact, John came into the room while you were talking about him. • I’m not a poor worker. As a matter of fact, I’m very efficient.

8. as a matter of course • normally; as a normal procedure. • The nurse takes your temperature as a matterofcourse. • You are expected to make your own bed asamatter of course.

9. Continued . . . • as a result of something • because of something that has happened. • As a result of the accident, Tom couldn’t walk for six months. • We couldn’t afford to borrow money for a house as a result of the rise in interest rates.

10. as a token (of something) • symbolic of something, especially of gratitude; as a memento of something. • He gave me a rose as a token of the time we spent together. • Here, take this $100 as a token of my appreciation. • I can’t thank you enough. Please accept this money as a token.

11. (as) awkward as a cow on a crutch and (as) awkward as a cow on roller skates • very awkward. • When Lulu was pregnant, she was awkward as a cow on a crutch. • Tom will never be a gymnast. He’s as awkward as a cow on roller skates!

12. (as) busy as a beaver and • (as) busy as a bee • very busy. • I don’t have time to talk to you. I’m as busy as a beaver. • You don’t look busy as a beaver to me. • Whenever there is a holiday, we are all as busyasbees getting things ready.

13. (as) busy as a cat on a hot tin roof • full of lively activity; very busy. • I’m afraid I can’t go to lunch with you on Saturday; I’ll be busy as a cat on a hot tin roof, • Between working overtime and the two parties I have to go to. Jerry’s three part-time jobs kept him as busy asa cat on a hot tin roof.

14. (as) busy as a hibernating bear • not busy at all. • TOM: I can’t go with you. I’m busy. JANE: Yeah. You’re as busy as a hibernating bear. • He lounged on the sofa all day, busy as a hibernating bear.

15. Continued . . . • (as) busy as Grand Central Station • very busy; crowded with customers or other people. (Refers to Grand Central Station in New York City.) • This house is as busy as Grand Central Station. • When the tourist season starts, this store is busy as Grand Central Station.

16. (as) busy as popcorn on a skillet • very active. • She rushed around, as busy as popcornon askillet. • Prying into other folks’ business kept him busyas popcorn on a skillet.

17. (as) calm as a toad in the sun • very calm and content. • She smiled, as calm as a toad in the sun. • Nothing ruffles him. He’s calm as a toad in the sun.

18. (as) clean as a hound’s tooth • very clean. (Clean can mean “innocent,” as in the first example.) • John had faith that he would not be convicted for the robbery, since he had been clean as a hound’s tooth.

19. (as) bad as all that • as bad as reported; • as bad as it seems. (Usually expressed in the negative.) • Come on! Nothing could be asbadasallthat. • Stop crying. It can’t be as bad as all that.

20. (as) bald as a baby’s backside • (as) bald as a coot • completely bald. • If Tom’s hair keeps receding like that, he’ll be baldasacoot by the time he’s thirty. • FRED: Now, I’ll admit my hair is thinning a little on the top, but— JANE: Thinning? You’re not thinning, you’re asbaldasababy’sbackside!

21. (as) baleful as death • promising evil; very threatening. • The wind’s moan was asbalefulasdeath. • His voice sounded balefulasdeath.

22. (as) big as all outdoors • very big, usually referring to a space of some kind. • You should see Bob’s living room. It’s asbigasalloutdoors. • The new movie theater is as big as all outdoors.

23. (as) big as life • (as) big as life and twice as ugly • an exaggerated way of saying that a person or a thing appeared in a particular place. ( The second phrase is slang.) • The little child just stood there asbigaslife and laughed very hard. • I opened the door, and there was Tom asbigaslife. • I came home and found this cat in my chair, asbigaslifeandtwiceasugly.

24. (as) black as a skillet black. • Very black • I don’t want to go down to the cellar. It’s asblackas askillet down there. • The bruise turned blackas a skillet.

25. (as) black as a stack of black cats • very black. • I’m scared to go into that closet. It’s as black as a stack ofblackcats in there. • Her hair was black as a stack of black cats.

26. (as) black as a sweep • extremely dirty. (The sweep is a chimney sweep.) • After playing in the mud all morning, the children were asblack as sweeps. • When Jane came in from working on her car, Alan told her, “Wash before you come to the dinner table. You’re black as a sweep!”

27. (as) black as coal • completely black. • Mark’s eyes were as black as coal. • The stranger’s clothes were all black as coal.

28. (as) black as night • very dark and black. • The ink in this pen is black as night. • During the eclipse, my room was as black as night.

29. (as) black as one is painted • as evil as described. (Usually negative.) • The landlord is not as black as he is painted. He seems quite generous. • Young people are rarely blackastheyarepainted in the media.

30. (as) black as pitch • very black; very dark. • The night was as black as pitch. • The rocks seemed black as pitch against the silver sand.

31. (as) black as the ace of spades • very black. (Refers to playing cards.) • The car was long and shiny and black as the ace of spades. • Jill’s shoes are black as the ace of spades.

32. (as) blind as a bat • with imperfect sight; blind. • My grandmother is as blind as a bat. • I’m getting blind as a bat. I can hardly read this page.

33. (as) bold as brass • very bold; bold to the point of rudeness. • Lisa marched into the manager’s office, boldas brass, and demanded her money back. • The tiny kitten, as bold as brass, began eating the dog’s food right in front of the dog’s nose.

34. (as) bright as a button • intelligent; quick-minded. (Usually used to describe children.) • Why, Mrs. Green, your little girl is as bright as a button. • You can’t fool Mandy. She may be only six years old, but she’sbrightas a button.

35. (as) bright as a new pin • bright and clean; shiny. • After Nora cleaned the house, it was as bright as a new pin. • My kitchen floor isbright as a new pin since I started using this new floor wax.

36. (as) broad as a barn door • very broad. • Jim’s backside is as broad as a barn door. since getting out of prison. • The weight-lifter’s chest was broad as a barn door.

37. (as) clean as a whistle • very clean. • The wound isn’t infected. It’s clean as a whistle. • I thought the car would be filthy, but it was as clean as a whistle.

38. (as) clear as a bell • very clear and easy to hear. • I fixed the radio, so now all the stations come in clear as a bell. • Through the wall, I could hear the neighbors talking, just as clear as a bell.

39. (as) clear as crystal • 1. very clear; transparent. • The stream was as clear as crystal. • She cleaned the windowpane until it was clear as crystal. • 2. very clear; easy to understand. • The explanation was as clear as crystal. • Her lecture was not clearascrystal , but at least it was not dull.

40. (as) clear as mud • not understandable. (Informal.) • Your explanation is asclearasmud. • This doesn’t make sense. It’s clearasmud.

41. (as) clear as vodka • 1. very clear. • The weather is asclearasvodka. • The river wasn’t exactly asclearasvodka because it had just rained. • 2. very understandable. • Everything he said is asclearasvodka. • I understand what John said, but everything you say is clearasvodka.

42. (as) close as two coats of paint • close and intimate. • When Tom and Mary were kids, they were ascloseastwocoatsofpaint. • All their lives, the cousins were close astwocoatsofpaint.

43. (as) cocky as the king of spades • boastful; overly proud. (Refers to playing cards.) • He’d challenge anyone to a fight. He’s ascockyasthekingofspades. • She strutted in, cockyasthekingofspades.

44. (as) cold as a witch’s caress • very cold; chilling. • The wind was ascoldasa witch’scaress. • She gave me a look as cold as a witch’s caress.

45. (as) cold as marble • Very cold indeed. (Used to describe a person who is either (as) busy as a beaver physically or emotionally cold.) • Raymond took Joanna’s hand. It was cold as marble. • No one ever got a smile out of Caroline, who was as cold as marble.

46. (as) comfortable as an old shoe • very comfortable; very comforting and familiar. • This old house is fine. It’s as comfortable as an old shoe. • That’s a great tradition—comfortable as an old shoe.

47. (as) common as an old shoe • low class; uncouth. • That trashy girl is just as common as an old shoe. • Jim may have money, but he’s common as an old shoe.

48. (as) cool as a cucumber • calm and not agitated;with one’s wits about one. (Informal.) • The captain remained as cool as a cucumber as the passengers boarded the lifeboats. • During the fire the homeowner was cool as a cucumber.

49. (as) conceited as a barber’s cat • very conceited; vain. • Ever since he won that award, he’s been as conceited as a barber’s cat. • She’s stuck up all right—conceited as a barber’s cat.

50. (as) common as dirt • vulgar; ill-mannered. • FRED: Did you notice Mr. Jones blowing his nose into the linen napkin at dinner? ELLEN: I’m not surprised. Everyone knows that the Joneses are as common as dirt. • Despite Jane’s efforts to imitate the manners of the upper class, the town’s leading families still considered her common as dirt.