Simile or Not?

rogersgeorge on June 16th, 2023

A simile is when you say that something is like something else (for example, You are like an olympic champion!). So what do you call it when someone leaves off the “something else” part?

https://www.gocomics.com/9-chickweed-lane-classics/2023/05/12

Using “like” as a substitute for “said” doesn’t count (for example, So I’m like, wow!)

I suppose “simile poisoning” is as good a term as any…

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Rogers George has been a technical writer for more than 20 years. He has written on subjects as diverse as outhouse assembly, restaurant reviews, software, information security, and scientific equipment. He has his own writing consultancy and is always happy to discuss writing and grammar. Drop him a line at curmudgeon@writing-rag.com.

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