Metaphor

(the use of) an expression which means or describes one thing or idea using words usually used of something else with very similar qualities. It does not use words “as” or “like”. A metaphor implies the comparison.

• Ignorance is a cancer that must be cured.
• The sunshine of her smile.
• The rain came down in buckets.
• I am a nice guy. I am all bark and no bite.
• You don’t hire a dog and bark yourself.
• to be ready to speak at the drop of a hat
• Dwight Eisenhower: Pull the string, and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere at all.
• Dwight Eisenhower: Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field.
• Dwight Eisenhower: If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom.
• Dwight Eisenhower: Some people wanted champagne and caviar when they should have had beer and hot dogs.
• Dwight Eisenhower: There is no victory at bargain basement prices.
• Dwight Eisenhower: What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog.
• The straw that breaks the camel's back.
• Someone who is enthusiastic and confident, but lacks ability and experience will rush in where angels fear to tread.
• That's putting the cart before the horse.
• That's the tail wagging the dog.
• I hate to rain on your parade.
• She has too many irons on the fire. (She is very busy.)
• It is the thought that counts. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. (Take what you have been given without criticism or emphasis on its worth)
• People in hell want ice water too. (Unlikely to happen) (asking too much)
• I have given you my best. Don’t try to squeeze a quart from a pint jug. (pushing the limits)
• Don’t bite more than you can chew.
• An egg today is better than a hen tomorrow.
• Language is the dress of thought.
• When the cat is away, the mice will play.

English Expressions

• Casting pearls before swine
• The straw that breaks the camel's back
• Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
• Someone who is enthusiastic and confident, but lacks ability and experience will rush in where angels fear to tread.
• That's putting the cart before the horse.
• That's the tail wagging the dog.
• I hate to rain on your parade.
• She has too many irons on the fire. (She is very busy.)
• It is the thought that counts; don't look a gift horse in the mouth. (Take what you have been given without criticism or emphasis on its worth)
• He never worries because he always lets the chips fall where they may. (to let the situation go without worry)
• Sometimes her husband plays fast and loose in the stock market. With romance, Dave will play fast and loose. (reckless behavior or do something carelessy)
• the chances are so few and far between
• People in hell want ice water too. (Unlikely to happen) (asking too much)
• trying to squeeze a quart from a pint jug (pushing the limits)
• It's like robbing Peter to feed Paul.
• 
  

Catchy Phrases

• Let it be a safe place to fail.
• Do the ordinary and do it extraordinarily well.
• You never get a second chance of first impression.
• Sunrise does not last all morning.
• Tony Hoare: Simplicity is the inevitable price we pay for reliability.
• Anton Chekhov: Anybody can face crisis. It’s the day to day things that wear you out.
• Garrison Keillor; Writer’s Almanac: Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
• Garrison Keillor; Lake Wolbegond: When all the men are good looking, all the women are strong, and all the children are above average.
• Even a blind squirrel will find a cone once in a while.
• George Bernard Shaw: Youth, a wonderful thing, but wasted on the young.
• Jimmy Carter: America did not invent human rights. Human rights invented America.
• Soren Kierkegard: Life is understood looking backwards, but it must be lived forwards.

• Man proposes; God disposes.
• As you sow, so you reap.
• Better ask twice than lose your way once.
• Where there is no trust, there is no love.
• Eggs and oaths are easily broken.
• Grasp all, lose all.
• Welcome is the best dish.
• Example is better than precept.
• Waste not, want not.
• The Sound of Music (Broadway)-16 going on 17: A bell is no bell till you ring it. A song is no song, till you sing it. Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love till you give it away.
• Everyone is somebody; no one is anybody. 人人是要人，無人高人一等。
  

Alliteration

In alliteration, the initial sounds in words or in stressed syllables within the words are repeated in a pleasing or memorable manner.

• unnoticed and unused

• hallowed halls

• protect and preserve peace

• round the rocks runs the river

• part and parcel

Triads

From the Toastmasters International’s Competent Communication manual: (Triads are)
Ideas, adjectives and points are grouped in threes. Expressed in threes, thoughts have pleasant rhythms, are dramatic, and become more memorable. For example, “We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
I am trying to collect examples of triads.

If you stumble upon this posting and wanted to contribute an example or two—whether you get it from somewhere or you created it yourself—I’ll be thrilled.

• I come. I see. I conquer.
• I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
• Its five year mission: to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.
• Garrison Kellor: Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
• Isaac Asimov: A robot may not injure humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

• Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

• Gettysburg Address:

… But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate -- we cannot consecrate -- we cannot hallow -- this ground.
… and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

• William Shakespeare: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

• Charles Darwin: It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

• Harry Given, Golf Legend of Seattle: Don’t take it too seriously. Play it squarely and fairly with good manners, and everything will be all right.

• JFK, Inauguration:

… that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage —and unwilling to witness …
… Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
… And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Japanese Names

Authors/Artists
菊池　寛 きくち　かん
小澤　征爾 おざわ　せいじ
川端　康成 かわばた　やすなり
松尾　芭蕉 まつお　ばしょう
芥川　龍之介 あくたがわ　りゅうのすけ
川端　康成 かわばた やすなり
三島　由紀夫 みしま　ゆきお
夏目　漱石 なつめ　そうせき
吉川　英治 よしかわ　えいじ
司馬　遼太郎 しば　りょうたろう
三船　敏郎 みふね　としろう
北原　白秋 きたはら　はくしゅう
井上　靖 いのうえ　やすし
志賀　直哉 しが　なおや
武者小路　実篤 むしゃのこうじ　さねあつ
板倉　章子 いたくら　あきこ
野口　 そういち のぐち　そういち
渡辺　謙 わたなべ　けん
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

上杉謙信 うえすぎ けんしん
織田信長 おだ のぶなが
武田信玄 たけた　しんげん
徳川家康 とくがわ　いえやす
豊臣秀吉 とよとみ　ひでよし
柳生 やぎゅう
伊達政宗 だて　まさむね
平　清盛 たいら きよもり
源　頼朝 みなもと　よりとも
源　義経 みなもと　よしつね
大岡越前 おおか　えちぜん
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

小林　正夫 こばやし　まさお
阿部　武 あべ　たけし
大貫　真人 おおぬき　まさと
大嶋　康典 おおしま　やすのり
赤木　和哉 あかき　かずや
樋口　治朗 ひぐち　じろう
貞光　和敏 さだみつ　かずとし
木原　友彦 きはら　ともひこ
山崎　芳露 やまざき　よしろ
佐野　昭洋 さの　あきひろ
松井　進 まつい　すすむ
佐藤　晃一 さとう　こういち
本田　匡 ほんだ　まさし
吉岡　義久 よしおか　よしひさ
堀江　明 ほりえ　あきら
秋庭　道宏 あきば　みちひろ
佐野　昭洋 さの　あきひろ
柳町　良蔵 やなぎまち　りょうぞう
和歌山　輝彦 わかやま　てるひこ

＝＝＝Last Names＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
横井 よこい
上野 うえの
三村 みむら
佐野 さの
町田 まちだ
大野 おおの
小野 おの
丸山 まるやま
小貫 おぬき
大貫 おおぬき
細川 ほそかわ
柳生 やぎゅう
山内 やまうち
山中 やまなか
山村 やまむら

＝＝＝　First Names ===========
きょうこ can be any of the following: 恭子, 京子, 杏子, 香子, 享子
よしこ can be: 良子, 芳子, 美子, 淑子, 佳子, 由子, 祥子
Shigetoshi can be: 重利, 重敏, 茂利
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
小淵　　　 けいぞう おぶち
野茂　英雄 のも　ひでお
宮澤　喜一　みやざわ　きいち
片山　晋吾　かたやま　しんご
石原慎太郎　いしはら　しんたろう
鈴木　一郎 すずき　いちろう
羽田　孜 はた　つとむ
佐々木 ささき
東条　英機 とうじょう　ひでき
丸山　茂樹 まるやま　しげき
小澤　一郎 おざわ　いちろう
青木 あおき
小泉 純一郎 こいずみ　じゅんいちろう
長谷川 茂俊 Hasegawa Shigetoshi
谷原秀雄 たにはらひでお

Tense

==========
X She already closed the door behind her when it occurred to her that she wasn't able to get back in later.
O She had already closed the door behind her when it occurred to her that she wouldn't be able to get back in later.

X The criminal escaped from custody and is believed to flee the country.
O The criminal escaped from custody and is believed to have fled the country.

X some archaeologists believe that the Minoans of 3700 years ago had practiced a religion that involved human sacrifice.
O some archaeologists believe that the Minoans of 3700 years ago practiced a religion that involved human sacrifice.

Consistency

X Not even your best friend can always be relied on to give one good advice.
O Not even your best friend can always be relied on to give you good advice.
O Not even one's best friend can always be relied on to give one good advice.

X My opinion is as good or better than his.
O My opinion is as good as his, or better (if not better).

X No agreement has been reached as yet.
O No agreement has yet been reached.

X Yet (or despite everything) he has not succeeded.
O As yet (or so far) he has not succeeded.

X He is regarded as being the best dancer in the club.
O He is regarded as the best dancer in the club.

X I consider him as competent.
O I consider him competent.

O The lecturer considered Eisenhower first as soldier and second as administrator.

X Leave it stand the way it is.
O Let it stand the way it is.

X We spent the evening like in the old days.
O We spend the evening as in the old days.

X Chloe smells good, like a pretty girl should.
O Chloe smells good, as a pretty girl should.

Case: Subject vs. Object

=============
X The culprit, it turned out, was him.
O The culprit, it turned out, was he.

* When "who" introduces a subordinate clause, its case depends on its function in that clause.
X Give this work to whomever looks idle.
O Give this work to whoever looks idle.

X Virgil Soames is the candidate whom we think will win.
O Virgil Soames is the candidate who we think will win.

X Virgil Soames is the candidate who we hope to elect.
O Virgil Soames is the candidate whom we hope to elect.

* Gerunds take the possessive case. A present participle takes the objective case.

O Mother objected to our driving on the icy road.
O They heard him singing in the shower.

O do you mind me asking a question?
O do you mind my asking a question?

Number

X In my favorite Armenian restaurant, the menu is fascinating and the entrees exquisite.
O ... and the entrees are exquisite.

O The bittersweet flavor of youth--its trials, its joys, its adventures, its challenges--is not soon forgot.

O One of the ablest MEN who HAVE attacked this problem.
O One of THOSE people who ARE never ready on time.

O Everybody thinks he has a sense of humor.
O Although both clocks strike cheerfully, neither KEEPS good time.

* Use singular verb form when "none" means "no one" or "not one".
* Use plural, when "none" suggests more than one thing or person.
O None of us is perfect.
O None are so fallible as those who are sure they're right.

* Certain compounds are so inseparable they are considered as a unit.
O The long and the sour of it IS ...
O Bread and butter WAS all she saved.
O Give and take IS essential to a happy household.
O Every window, picture, and mirror WAS smashed.

* A singular subject remains singular even if other nouns are connected to it by with, as well as, in addition to, except, together with, no less than.
O His speech as well as his manner IS objectionable.

* A linking verb agrees with the number of its subject.
O What IS wanted IS a few more Paris of hands.
O The trouble with truth IS its many varieties.

*Idiomatic Usage:
* Contents of a book is singular.
* Contents of a jar is plural or singular, depending on what's in the jar--marbles or jam.