11/23/09
Writing is an art. An art to convey something, --- could be a story, an incident, a description, feelings and emotions, or just weaving out some fiction --- could be anything. The writer hopes to convey to the reader effectively the experiences that he himself (or she herself) has gone thru. In any case, the language, the expression, can be embellished and ornamented impressively by use of idioms and picturesque description. To accentuate a particular situation, or an emotion, an appropriate simile is used to blow up the desired response, and create a mental picture that generates the expected efffect. That renders beauty, gives color, and adds spice to the narration. Following are some samples of such ornate expressions :
1. To rise before the roosters ( to get up early in the morning )
2. The huge hulk of ----(someone) ( a huge bulky person )
3. The hands that could have throttled a horse ( a person of considerable strength )
4. Sylph like ----- (girl) ( a slender and graceful girl )
5. To make one stand out like walrus in a goldfish tank ( when someone is prominent and strikingly identifiable in a gathering )
6. To feel the crimpson rising in one's tremulous cheeks ( blushing )
7. Waiting for ----- (x) was like sitting on a lid while the pot boiled ( getting extremely impatient due to long waiting )
8. As overstuffed as a Christmas goose ( having overeaten, belly bursting )
9. Wiping the sleep from one's weary eyes ( shake off the hangover of sleep )
10. Morpheus soon took over ( soon fell asleep )
11. As busy as a cat in fish-market ( extremely busy )
12. Meeting those blossoms on the tree of humanity ( meeting nice people )
13. Seams ready to split ( belly about to burst, overeating )
14. To show from stem to stern ( completely, from end to end )
15. To amble leisurely ( stroll in a leisurely pace )
16. To look as out of place as a canary at a crow's convention ( completely out of place )
17. Fall into the hands of Morpheus ( fall asleep )
18. To return home in one piece ( return safely )
19. The backbone has to be strong as a steel axle ( physically quite strong )
20. The heart started jumping like a ball on a fountain ( feeling very happy, over-joyed )
21. To throw one into a tizzy ( put one to an excited distracted state of mind )
22. Wouldn't have slept in the balance of one's life time ( would not be at ease in the rest of one's life )
23. Slim as a reed ( very thin person )
24. Eyes big as saucers ( very big eyes )
25. Could have floated a battleship with all the tea consumed ( drunk lots of tea )
26. To wolfishly gobble ( hurriedly eat with great appetite )
27. To leave all composure miles behind ( act with great impatience )
28. To let every pore of the body drink it in ( wholeheartedly enjoy something )
29. To get into the meat of the subject ( to come to subject proper )
30. The bands shrieked splitting the air ( loud noise )
31. Must have costed a mint ( must have been extremely costly )
32. Add a little frosting to the cake ( making a situation a little better )
2. The huge hulk of ----(someone) ( a huge bulky person )
3. The hands that could have throttled a horse ( a person of considerable strength )
4. Sylph like ----- (girl) ( a slender and graceful girl )
5. To make one stand out like walrus in a goldfish tank ( when someone is prominent and strikingly identifiable in a gathering )
6. To feel the crimpson rising in one's tremulous cheeks ( blushing )
7. Waiting for ----- (x) was like sitting on a lid while the pot boiled ( getting extremely impatient due to long waiting )
8. As overstuffed as a Christmas goose ( having overeaten, belly bursting )
9. Wiping the sleep from one's weary eyes ( shake off the hangover of sleep )
10. Morpheus soon took over ( soon fell asleep )
11. As busy as a cat in fish-market ( extremely busy )
12. Meeting those blossoms on the tree of humanity ( meeting nice people )
13. Seams ready to split ( belly about to burst, overeating )
14. To show from stem to stern ( completely, from end to end )
15. To amble leisurely ( stroll in a leisurely pace )
16. To look as out of place as a canary at a crow's convention ( completely out of place )
17. Fall into the hands of Morpheus ( fall asleep )
18. To return home in one piece ( return safely )
19. The backbone has to be strong as a steel axle ( physically quite strong )
20. The heart started jumping like a ball on a fountain ( feeling very happy, over-joyed )
21. To throw one into a tizzy ( put one to an excited distracted state of mind )
22. Wouldn't have slept in the balance of one's life time ( would not be at ease in the rest of one's life )
23. Slim as a reed ( very thin person )
24. Eyes big as saucers ( very big eyes )
25. Could have floated a battleship with all the tea consumed ( drunk lots of tea )
26. To wolfishly gobble ( hurriedly eat with great appetite )
27. To leave all composure miles behind ( act with great impatience )
28. To let every pore of the body drink it in ( wholeheartedly enjoy something )
29. To get into the meat of the subject ( to come to subject proper )
30. The bands shrieked splitting the air ( loud noise )
31. Must have costed a mint ( must have been extremely costly )
32. Add a little frosting to the cake ( making a situation a little better )
The above are from a book entitled "Tender Hearts of India" by Jane Richardson.This lady now lives in New York, and would be celebrating her Ninetieth Birthday next month ( on December 4th )
Here are a few more from other sources:
1. I would be on pins and needles till I receive your response ( highly impatient )
2. To fall head over heels (to fall for) 'He fell head over heels for that girl'
3. Looked as tho hit by a cannon-ball ( to feel shocked )
4. To cry one's heart out ( to express profound grief by crying out )
1. I would be on pins and needles till I receive your response ( highly impatient )
2. To fall head over heels (to fall for) 'He fell head over heels for that girl'
3. Looked as tho hit by a cannon-ball ( to feel shocked )
4. To cry one's heart out ( to express profound grief by crying out )
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