Frank J. Wilstach, comp. A Dictionary of Similes. 1916. William Congreve
Shallow artifice begets suspicion, 1 Artless as Nature’s notes in birds untaught. 2 Bright as the moon she shone, with silver light, 3 Calm as a discharged culverin. 4 Critics avaunt! for you are fish of prey, and feed, like sharks, upon an infant play. 5 Fat as a barn-door fowl. 6 Fight like a cock. 7 Heavy as a panegyric. 8 High as the head of Fame. 9 High as the spheres. 10 Hooded like a hawk. 11 Ill-natured as an old maid. 12 Jealous as a barren wife. 13 Knowing as the stars. 14 Lost, like autumnal leaves, when North winds rage. 15 Love, like death, a universal leveller of mankind. 16 Prattle like a magpie. 17 Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned. 18 Secret as the head of Nilus. 19 Secret as the night. 20 Silly as an old maid at a marriage. 21 Sound as a biscuit. 22 Stick like pitch. 23 Struggled, like an old lawyer between two fees. 24 Harder to be understood than a piece of Egyptian antiquity, or an Irish manuscript. 25 Unwelcome to a woman as a looking-glass after the small-pox. 26 Various as flowers on unfrequented plains. 27 Wanton as a young widow. 28 Women are like tricks by sleight of hand, 29
