You’re Such an Eager Beaver!

Metaphor mania. Our brains love the leaps from thorny bushes to prickly relatives. You, too, are a master. I have listed just a few below – focusing just on terms we use to describe people. You may find a simile or two. Linger just a sec over each, appreciating how they capture complex patterns in just a word or two. See if each phrase conjures up someone you may know.

One caveat: Although there may be a few culturally sensitive terms, I have tried not to include phrases used to ridicule or taunt people based on their gender/sexuality, race, ethnicity, faith and weight. As you can imagine, unfortunately, there are many. And these terms often serve as code words by cultures to control what they see as unacceptable.

But the list below is, hopefully, a fun appetizer – or an amuse bouche. I am hoping you can add to the list so we can have a veritable celebration of our own cleverness. Enjoy.

Early bird. Lame duck. Sitting duck. Night owl. Love birds. Spring chicken. Looney. Chick. Peacock. Cock of the walk. Batty. Fly by night. Flighty. Henpecked. Shark. Barracuda. Fish out of water. Crabby. Slippery. Swimming upstream. Swimming against the tide. Lemmings. Cool as a cucumber. Corny. Apple of my eye. Peach. String bean. Salty. Sour grapes. Hotdogger. Saucy. Cheesy. Wet noodle. Thorny. Shrinking violet. Rosey. Wallflower. Coyote. Badger. Paper tiger. Bull in a china shop. Long in the tooth. Foxy. Horse’s (butt). Weasel. Mousey. Stallion. Filly. Snake. Louse. Horse of a different color. Chameleon. Busy bee. Bees knees. Pack rat. Green with envy. Red hot. Yellow. Blue. Tough as nails. High strung. Built. Train wreck. Stacked. About to explode. Broken record. Bleeding heart. Spacey. Cute as a button. Spitfire. Old school. Fit to be tied. Loose cannon. Off their rocker. Pistol. Brown nose. Hard nosed. Sharp as a tack. Diamond in the rough. Granola. Helicopter mom. aaaaand (it’s your turn.)