Is a metaphor like a simile?

What the hell kind of question is this?! Quite a doozie, even for a lover of grammar and the English language. I looked at it the first time and was ready to whip out all my grammar and style books, give a really technical answer that few might really appreciate. I really had to think more about it – is a metaphor like a simile.

First of all, I congratulate you for posing a question about a metaphor in the form of a simile. Nice work. Secondly, thanks for presenting me with a chance to talk about grammar and style – not many really want to hear me drone on about comma usage or the difference between “good” and “well”. But there really isn’t a good way to make this interesting, so my apologies for the forthcoming textbook answer. I won’t lie – this one was tough.

Is a metaphor like a simile? The answer, short and sweetly, is yes, a metaphor is like a simile, but different. This may not be a fair answer, but it’s what I will offer. Here’s why:

A simile compares two unlike things using a comparison word such as “like” or “as”. Example: Quick like a fox. A metaphor, on the other hand, compares two unlike things without a comparison word. Example: Life’s a bitch.

So they are different, but the same, see. The main difference is that comparison word. We make comparisons all the time. Whether it’s about a meal we just had compared to a meal the night before or sexual partners (come on, we all say we don’t compare one to the next, but we all do it – it’s in our nature).

Ok, I give up – that was incredibly difficult and there is no way to make it any more interesting or fun. So forgive me, really. A metaphor, while different, is indeed like a simile.

I know this did no justice to the question and I’m sure I could do better, but I think this is the best we’re going to get. But… I’ll leave you with a simile:

Every time I look at the t-rex, I smile like a kid in a candy shop.

(Official MSWord word count: 366, jeezuz that was hard to hit!)


And for you, while it might seem like an amateur challenge, we both know it’s more complicated than the immediate, obvious answer. I challenge you: Why did the chicken cross the road?