sayings with as...as

Sayings with as...as

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Grammar


In another lesson you study that ‘as…as’ is used to make comparisons. There are 4 possibilities.

• As + adjective + as: Spain is as big as Poland.

• As + adverb + as: I don’t live as dangerously as Bear Grylls.

• As + uncountable noun + as: Wine doesn’t have as much alcohol as brandy.

• As + countable noun + as: J.R. doesn’t have as many horses as Mr. King.


There are also several phrases that use ‘as…as’ as.

As soon as –– tan pronto como

What is something that you do as soon as you get home?


As far as I know – que yo sepa

Finish these sentences with a logical conclusion:

As far as I know, my bank______________.

As far as I know, the city hall in my town____________.


As long as – siempre que

Finish these sentences with a logical conclusion:

I will eat tuna, as long as___________.

I would work in Africa for a year, as long as__________.


Sometimes we use expressions with ‘as…as’ to highlight a defect or feature of a person or thing. Often, they are exaggerations. If somebody says that you are as blind as a bat, it doesn’t mean that your vision is as limited as a bat’s, but that you don’t see very well.


Match the following conditions with the ‘as…as’ phrase that best describes it. 1. Stuart is very pale. 2. Angus has been sunbathing all week without sunscreen. 3. Ralph needs to gain some weight. 4. Bruno has been lifting weights for many years. A. He’s as strong as an ox. B. He’s as thin as a rail. C. He’s as white as snow.D. He’s as red as a lobster.


Try to think of a logical ‘as…as’ phrase for the following situations.

Don’t eat that bread, it’s from yesterday. Yes, it’s______________________. (hard)


Don’t eat that bread, it’s from yesterday. Yes, it’s as hard as a rock.

Is the weather nice in Seville in August?No, it’s___________________.


Is the weather nice in Seville in August?No, it’s as hot as hell/an oven/a furnace.

Your wife is always doing something, isn’t she? Yes, she’s ___________________. (busy)


Your wife is always doing something, isn’t she? Yes, she’s as busy as a beaver/bee.

La Mancha has a lot of mountains, doesn’t it?No, it’s ________________. (flat)


La Mancha has a lot of mountains, doesn’t it?No, it’s as flat as a pancake.


You might remember the differences between ‘like’ and ‘as’. In this case, you can use ‘like’ in a similar way.

If somebody makes a lot of noise and is very sloppy when he or she eats, we can say ‘you eat like a pig’.

You could also say ‘he is as sloppy as a pig when he eats’.


‘To be like a bull in a China shop’ means to be clumsy and/or to be in a potentially dangerous situation.

Do you know anybody who is like a bull in a China shop at a social event?


Talking to my boss is like talking to a wall.

What do you think this means?


She eats like a bird.

Does this mean a person eats a lot?


Something that sells like hotcakes (tortitas), sells very well.

If you could open a stand at the beach in summer, what do you think would sell like hotcakes?


Match the situation with the ‘like’ expression that best summarizes it. 1. The government is observing them closely. 2. They don’t do very much. 3. They move around the city quite easily. 4. Those pants look perfect on you. A. They are watching them like hawks. B. They fit like a glove. C. They are like bumps on a log. D. They know it like the back of their hand.


When was the last time you:

slept like a log?

felt like a fish out of water?

felt like a million bucks?


Listen to the following dialogue. Although you would probably never hear so many of these phrases in one conversation, try to understand the general meaning and then answer the questions that follow with an ‘as…as’ expression.


1. Did Anthony feel a little bad after eating an oyster?

2. Do they think Anthony is a strong guy? 3. Was Anthony satisfied with the solution that the

company offered?4. Did he frequently complain until the company

offered compensation? 5. Are either of the speakers still confused about

the situation?


Sometimes an ‘as…as’ expression doesn’t make sense, and it is used in an ironic way.

The sofa is as light as a rock = it’s not light

This text is as clear as mud = it’s confusing


If something is ‘as plain as day’ it meansthat it is obvious.

What is as plain as day inthis picture?

Have you ever put your footin your mouth (meter la pata)

in a situation like this?


To say that somebody is insane, we sometimes use ‘to be as crazy as a loon’.

A loon is a North American bird whose cry makes it sound crazy.

Do you know any famous people who are as crazy as a loon?


When somebody is calm under pressure, you could describe him or hers as being ‘as cool as a cucumber’.

Can you think of a movie whose main character was as cool as a cucumber?


When would you use the expression ‘as black as tar’?

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sayings with as...as