Hover over the symbol for information on each item or click here for more guidance. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.
Entering the simile
Brevity is the soul of wit, and we like our similes to be witty, so keep it brief! The limit is 120 characters.
Before entering a new simile, please use the search functions on the main page to be sure the simile is not already in the bank.
Form
We currently accept only two forms: [as]__as__ (example: as cold as ice) and (more__/less__/_-er) than__ (example: nuttier than a fruitcake).
Keyword
The keyword is often an adjective (sometimes other parts of speech) that occurs in the first half of the simile. It is compared or analogized to something in the second half. Try to use the simplest form of the word and avoid the comparative; i.e., use nutty instead of nuttier, cold instead of colder, even if the simile itself uses the comparative. The result will be a tighter list of keywords that is easier to search. As you begin to type your proposed keyword, a list of existing similar keywords may pop up on the right side of the page to let you see what keywords are in the bank.
Category
If you think your keyword fits into one of the standard categories, please select that category. Otherwise, leave this as "miscellaneous." To get suggestions for possible categories for your keyword, click the "suggest" button. Remember that English has many homonyms and homographs - be sure to categorize based on meaning (example: "cold" can be a thermal property or a personality descriptor). If in doubt, leave a comment for the curator. If you do select a category other than "miscellaneous", you will be provided the option of selecting a second category for those rare instances where a keyword has two meanings.
Mature content
Do not enter similes formulated to offend ethnic groups or that make vulgar references to excretory functions or sex acts. The Simile Bank is policed by its users via a flagging system. If your simile contains words or concepts unsuitable for younger users, please check the "mature content" box.
Irony/sarcasm
Some similes are intended to convey the opposite of what their words denote. (Example: "sharp as a bag of wet mice" describes something that is not sharp at all). If your simile is best understood in this opposite sense, check the "ironic/sarcastic" box. This information will be used to refine search results.
Your name
"anonymous" is the default name if you leave this blank. We hope to adopt a log in system in the future, but for now there is no guarantee the name you type here will be unique at Simile Bank.
Source
If you know the name of the person who came up with the simile, enter it here (you can enter your own name if it is your simile). You can also enter the name of a television show, literary work, or other source. If you are not sure, you can leave this blank or put a question mark after your entry.
Public comment
Do not include HTML in your post. Spam will be promptly removed. Limited to 1000 characters.
Private comment
This is your opportunity to draw the curator’s attention to any issues associated with this entry. Limited to 600 characters.
Brevity is the soul of wit, and we like our similes to be witty, so keep it brief! The limit is 120 characters.
Before entering a new simile, please use the search functions on the main page to be sure the simile is not already in the bank.
We currently accept only two forms: [as]__as__ (example: as cold as ice) and (more__/less__/_-er) than__ (example: nuttier than a fruitcake).
The keyword is often an adjective (sometimes other parts of speech) that occurs in the first half of the simile. It is compared or analogized to something in the second half. Try to use the simplest form of the word and avoid the comparative; i.e., use nutty instead of nuttier, cold instead of colder, even if the simile itself uses the comparative. The result will be a tighter list of keywords that is easier to search. As you begin to type your proposed keyword, a list of existing similar keywords may pop up on the right side of the page to let you see what keywords are in the bank.
If you think your keyword fits into one of the standard categories, please select that category. Otherwise, leave this as "miscellaneous." To get suggestions for possible categories for your keyword, click the "suggest" button. Remember that English has many homonyms and homographs - be sure to categorize based on meaning (example: "cold" can be a thermal property or a personality descriptor). If in doubt, leave a comment for the curator.
If you think your keyword fits into another category as well, select it here, otherwise leave this as "none."
Do not enter similes formulated to offend ethnic groups or that make vulgar references to excretory functions or sex acts. The Simile Bank is policed by its users via a flagging system. If your simile contains words or concepts unsuitable for younger users, please check the "mature content" box.
Some similes are intended to convey the opposite of what their words denote. (Example: "sharp as a bag of wet mice" describes something that is not sharp at all). If your simile is best understood in this opposite sense, check the "ironic/sarcastic" box. This information will be used to refine search results.
"anonymous" is the default name if you leave this blank. At present, we do not have a login system, so there is no guarantee a name you type in will be unique.
If you know the name of the person who came up with the simile, enter it here (you can enter your own name if it is your simile). You can also enter the name of a television show, literary work, or other source. If you are not sure, you can leave this blank or put a question mark after your entry.
Do not include HTML in your post. Spam will be promptly removed. Limited to 1000 characters.
This is your opportunity to draw the curator’s attention to any issues associated with this entry. Limited to 600 characters.
symbol for information on each item or click here
for more guidance. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.