Learning English is a journey. It’s a winding road. Some people might say it’s a rollercoaster or a mountain you have to climb.
When we compare English to a road, a journey, a mountain or a rollercoaster we’re using metaphors. Let’s learn some more metaphors so that you can take your English to the top of the ladder.

We spoke about metaphors in our episode on poetry: https://inglespodcast.com/201

Is there a difference between a simile and a metaphor or are we just splitting hairs?

Metaphors and similes are both used to make comparisons.
A simile is a subcategory of metaphor, which means all similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.

Similes use ‘like’ and ‘as’ “I ran like the wind”. “She’s as cold as ice”, “I slept like a log.” “He’s as cool as a cucumber.”

Metaphors tend to be broader than similes.
Metaphors don’t merely suggest one thing is like another; they say that one thing is another: “Love is a battlefield”. “He is the black sheep of the family”. “You’re answer is crystal clear”.

Why use metaphors?

They bring a powerful image into the mind of the listener or the reader and it’s a more effective way to communicate an idea. Compare the following:

Life is difficult – Life is a rollercoaster

I’m very hungry – I could eat a horse

Nobody really knows much about Lindsay’s private life – He’s a dark horse

He shows his feelings – He wears his heart on his sleeve

My classroom is full of noisy, badly behaved children – My classroom is a zoo

She’s very kind – She’s got a heart of gold

I couldn’t concentrate – I was a million miles away

What do you think the following metaphors mean?

You hit the nail on the head
You got something right
You’re very good at DIY

I was caught red-handed
I did a terrible job of painting the house
I was seen doing something forbidden or illegal

She was a ray of sunshine
She wore very colourful clothes
She brought happiness into others’ lives

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room
Let’s discuss the topic that we’re all thinking about but no one is mentioning
Let’s talk about the fact that this room is much too small.

He’s on a wild goose chase
He’s doing something that’s pointless and a waste of time
He’s running very fast to try and catch something

I’m a night owl
I’m more active at night than in the morning
I’m a sleepwalker

It’s no skin off my nose
This object doesn’t belong to me
It doesn’t affect me negatively

She has a finger in every pie/in many pies
She is involved in many different matters
She doesn’t wash her hands much

I can’t wrap my head around it
I can’t like it because it’s bad for me
I can’t understand it

You shouldn’t cut corners
You shouldn’t do something badly to save time or money.
You shouldn’t cheat someone out of money

I’ll bite the bullet
I’ll eat something that tastes disgusting and say that I like it
I’ll do something unpleasant so that it’s over quickly.

He’s a rough diamond
He was poor but now he has lots of money
Although he is coarse, he is of good character

I’m going to hit the sack
I’m going to go to bed
I’m going to lose my job

REVIEW
To split hairs
Love is a battlefield
He is the black sheep of the family
Your answer is crystal clear
I ran like the wind
She’s as cold as ice
I slept like a log
He’s as cool as a cucumber.
Life is a rollercoaster
I could eat a horse
He’s a dark horse
He wears his heart on his sleeve
My classroom is a zoo
She’s got a heart of gold
I was a million miles away
You hit the nail on the head
I was caught red-handed
She was a ray of sunshine
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room
He’s on a wild goose chase
I’m a night owl
It’s no skin off my nose
She has a finger in every pie/in many pies
I can’t wrap my head around it
You shouldn’t cut corners
I’ll bite the bullet
He’s a rough diamond
I’m going to hit the sack

…and now it’s your turn to practise your English. We want you to bit the bullet and send us a voice message. Try to use three of the metaphors in your message.
Send us a voice message. https://www.speakpipe.com/inglespodcast
Send us an email with a comment or question to [email protected] or [email protected]

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In next week’s episode: Travelling around the USA with Tim

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