A thread to request suggestions for similes. I need one for 'thick', please. This is what I currently have, but 'paperback' is a big vague, as that could suggest anything from 5cm thick to 6 inches thick. The wad of money here needs to be about 3 inches thick. A wad of used twenties as thick as a paperback lay in the bottom, neatly secured with a brown elastic band.
As thick as ... usually refers to an individual. As thick as two short planks, as thick as a brick = pretty damn stupid. Alternatively: As thick as thieves. Different again. I can't think of a commonly used simile that uses 'thick' in its literal sense. You could try '... as thick as my wrist'
That's a good point. I searched the net, but all the suggestions referred to the 'unintelligent' meaning of the word. I like wrist, actually, although the reader may argue which way, side on or from the top. I thought about 'Stephen King paperback', but then he writes many shorts stories. I like paperback because of the 'leaves of paper' link
as thick as War and Peace...or as thick as The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Decline and fall would be the thicker, and War and Peace the better known; but I'd suggest that any book three inches thick would be too thick for it to be paperback and not fall apart under its own weight!
I'll second @peachalulu 's suggestion. One of my favourite tricks is to make similes/metaphors/etc multitask by fleshing out characterisation or other plot/setting details. The 'secondary information' can even be more important than the description itself: e.g. I wouldn't actually care which dimension of the human wrist your wad of cash was as thick as (unless it's my own currency, my impression of value from wad-thickness will be very imprecise anyway), but I might be interested in what the chosen simile says about your character or world. E.g. '...as thick as the steak his imagination was currently teasing his stomach with, although not as well-done' --> 'Oh hey, MC's hungry! And there's a cute tidbit about how he likes his steak too.' Does MC have any obsessive interests his brain falls back on for analogies? Has he done anything recently that's still in his mind as fuel for one? How does he feel about the cash? Does it scare him, conjuring up comparison to another fear? Does he automatically think of something he might want to purchase with it? There are lots of directions you can go
If I'm going to use similes I try to avoid the obvious. How about as thick as an 80's laptop? or mobile phone? ...as a Scooby snack? ...as a platform sole? ...as a Big Mac (and I would probably add for comic effect - the promised product, not the burger you actually receive-) I do like 'thick as war and peace' by @Shadowfax though, as it's in line with your 'leaves of paper' link
I think War and Peace would indicate too thick a wad. The money only amounts to just over four-thousand, and if they're all twenties I'm not sure that would be particular thick. In fact, now that I've established the amount (I hadn't when I started this thread) the 'thick' simile is probably no longer relevant.
Besides I'd had enough of the benefit system. Being unemployed was one thing, being on benefits was another thing altogether and came with a shit load of baggage that would drag you down into the cauldrons of despair quicker than a... Any ideas?
Apt enough, Francis, but I was hoping for something that would relate to despair. The devil looking for a playmate. That's a shit example, but I use it to get my point across. Broken lift to hell, maybe. Nah!
If it's rolled up (because I picture rolled when you say wad): As thick as an elephant's toe. As thick as a mink's tail. As thick as a lamp post. If it's a flat pile: As thick as a phone book. As thick as a hymn book. As thick as the Bible. If you can get a bit of humor or color in a simile, it always reads as more interesting. According to Google, a stack of 100 bills is 0.43 inches and there are 200 twenties in $4K. So you need something as thick as ~an inch. That eliminates 'phone book' but you could still use it. You can Google that one: Master list of quicker than/faster than jokes. Funny Southern Sayings, Expressions, and Slang There's a wealth of hits when you Google, "quicker than a".
Mmm, they're all very American and none really indicate despair, but thank you. Also very interesting that you see 'wad' as notes rolled up rather than a pile.
Google images of 'wad of bills' and you'll see quite a few are rolled or at least folded over. Could be a UK vs US issue.
