Comparisons as Predictable as the Sunrise
An analysis of similes from popular fiction reveals the prevalence of the structure 'as ___ as ___'. This study examined 200,000 similes to understand the common adjectives used in this form. The findings highlight the enduring nature of certain idioms and the patterns in figurative language across various literary works.
- ▪The analysis focused on the top 500 most common adjectives in similes.
- ▪Similes are a common figure of speech that compare qualities using 'like' or 'as'.
- ▪The study found that certain adjectives have dominant nouns associated with them, indicating popular idiomatic expressions.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Comparisonsas Predictable as the SunriseAn analysis of 200,000 similes from popular fiction.By Russell Samora. Design & Illustration by Shelly Tan.Similes are all around us. But, if you haven’t considered this figure of speech since grade school, here’s a refresher: similes compare a shared quality of two things, often using “like” or “as.”I pulled every simile in the form “as ___ as ___” from tens of thousands of fiction books for the top 500 most common adjectives.To put you in a writer’s mindset, fill in the blank of the simile below.My mouth has goneas dry as .st0{fill:#FFFFFF;} Submit .st0{fill:#FFFFFF;} Above are real results from my extensive analysis of this specific form of simile.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Pudding.
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