Monitor Quiz: Stumped, Like a Fallen Tree

Similes (SIM-uh-lees) are figures of speech used to compare two unlike things using 'as' or 'like.' Many old similes are still used commonly today. We may say we are 'warm as toast' or 'cool as a cucumber,' for example.

Many of the similes listed below are no longer in general use, but were quite familiar to English-speaking people in the 1800s. See if you can complete these old-time similes:

1. As - - - - - - as the soul of an echo.

2. As - - - as all outdoors.

3. As - - - as the clerk of a lime-kiln.

4. As - - - - - - - as a Virginia fence.

5. As - - - - - - - - as a loon's leg.

6. As - - - - - as greased lightning.

7. As - - - - - - - - as a shingle.

8. As - - - - - - - as a basket of chips.

9. As - - - - - as a clam at high water.

10. As - - - - - as the bark of a tree.

11. As - - - - as a bug's ear.

12. As - - - - - - - as Punch.

13. As - - - - - as a tame turkey.

OLD-TIME PROVERB:

14. A good deed will stick out, with an inclination to - - - - - -, like the tail of a peacock.

ANSWERS

(1) hollow; (2) big; (3) dry; (4) crooked; (5) straight; (6) slick; (7) straight; (8) smiling (9) happy; (10) tight; (11) cute; (12) pleased; (13) proud; (14) spread