Alright, let me take you back to my 7th-grade English class — fluorescent lights humming, that weird cafeteria-meets-antiseptic smell, and me staring at a worksheet like it was written in hieroglyphics. The question: “Identify the simile in this sentence: ‘Her laugh was like wind chimes on a porch.’” I circled “wind chimes” and got it wrong. Turns out, the whole “like wind chimes” part was the simile. Whoops. (Yeah, Mrs. Thompson gave me that “bless your heart” look.)
Here’s the thing: Similes aren’t just textbook jargon. They’re the salt and pepper of everyday conversation. Think about the last time you said, “This traffic’s moving slower than a DMV line on Monday,” or “My toddler’s energy level today? Like a caffeinated squirrel at a Legoland sale.” Bingo — you’ve used similes without even thinking about it.
My light bulb moment? When I started noticing similes in wild places. Like country songs (thanks, Dolly Parton — “Love is like a butterfly”), sports commentary (“He’s sweating like a popped water balloon!”), or my aunt’s dramatic retelling of her bunion surgery (“The pain shot up my foot like a Netflix true-crime twist!”). Similes aren’t fancy — they’re just comparisons with training wheels (thanks to “like” or “as”).
But wait — how’s that different from a metaphor? Great question! I mixed these up for years. Here’s how I finally untangled them:
- Simile: “My brother’s snoring sounds like a chainsaw wrestling a kazoo.” (Direct comparison + “like”)
- Metaphor: “My brother’s snoring is a chainsaw wrestling a kazoo.” (No “like/as” — just declares it’s the thing)
Pro tip: Start with what’s familiar. When I taught my niece to spot similes, we compared her messy room to things she knew: “Is it as chaotic as your TikTok FYP? As unpredictable as a McFlurry machine ‘out of order’ sign?” Suddenly, it clicked.
One pitfall to avoid: Overdoing it. My rookie mistake? Describing a sunset as “like a burning pumpkin patch, as radiant as a Target clearance aisle, as vivid as my mom’s side-eye when I forget to text…” Yeah. Sometimes “it was gorgeous” works just fine.
Your homework (don’t worry — no grades here): Next time you’re stuck in line at Starbucks or watching your dog lose their mind over a squirrel, mentally craft a simile. “This iced coffee is as essential as my morning scroll through doom-and-gloom headlines.” “Fido’s focus right now? Like a Kardashian spotting a paparazzo.” Play. Get weird. Delete the cringey ones later.
Similes are everywhere once you start listening — in gas station small talk, Instagram captions, your dad’s fishing stories (“The bass was as long as my arm… okay, maybe my forearm”). They’re not about being Shakespeare. They’re about connecting ideas like a verbal duct tape — quick, sticky, and weirdly satisfying.
Go on — compare something today. Even if it’s just muttering, “This humidity feels like I’m breathing through a wet sock.” Trust me, Mrs. Thompson would be proud.