Contents
-BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD
Frank J. Wilstach, comp. A Dictionary of Similes. 1916.
Geoffrey Chaucer
Black as a crow.Blak as fende in helle.Boold as is Bayard the Blynde.Bright as day.Bright as stars in winter.As rody and bright as doth the yonge sonne
That in the ram is foure degrees ronne.Broun as is a berye.Clear as a bell.As colde as eny froste.As coy and stille as doth a mayde
Were newe spoused.Coy as ys a mayde.Darked, as it is wonte to darke by smoked images.Dede as stoon.Dombe as any stoon.Doumb as a tree.Faire as is the bryghte morwe [morning].Faire as is the rose in May.Fat as a whale.Fiers as leoun.Fyn as ducket in Venice.Fressh as a rose.As fressh as faucon comen out of mewe.As fressh as is the brighte someres day.Fressh as is the monthe of May.Full as the hyve is of honey.As breme [furiously] as blase of straw yset on fyre.As kynde as any wyf from Denmark unto Ynde.Leene was his hors as is a rake.Swere and lye as a womman kan.Light as leef on lynde.Lippes rede as rose.As lowde as bloweth wynde in helle.As feele (many) as of leves ben on trees in somer.Meeke as is a mayde.As meke as ever was any lamb.As a lamb she sitteth meke and stille, as leef on lynde [Linden tree].They murmureden as dooth a swarm of been.As naked … as a corowne withe out stones.Pale … as any lead.Like a dede ymage, pale and wan.Palle as asshen colde.Proud as a peacock.As pure as gold yfined.Red as a fox.Rede as blood.Rede as rose.Rede,
As doth where that men melte lede.Reed as the bristles of a sowes erys.Rounde as appille was his face.Sharpe as brere.Shoon as the burned gold.Symple as byrde in bouer.Symple as dowve of tree.Smothe it was as it were late shave.Steadfast as a wall.Stille as any stoone.Sat stille, as if he were in a traunce.As stille as the dede were.Stank as the pitte of helle.Stynken as a goot.Straight as line.Strive not as doth a crocke (pitcher) with a wall.Sweete as is the brembul-flour
That bereth the rede hepe [Fruit of the dog rose].Swift as fowel in flight.As swifte as pelet out of gonne.Tame, as an lilye whyt.Tendre as dewe of flouer.Tendre as is a chicke.As thikke as is a branched ook.As thikke as motes in the sonne beem.Trewe as any bonde.As vicious
As any feend that lith in helle adoun.Violent as botel in the spence [store-room].Weepe as dooth a child that is ybete.Weet, as beest is in the reyn.Whit as chalk.Whyte as floure.Whit as is a lylie flour.Whyte as lylye or rose in rys [twig].White as snowe falle newe.White of hewe,
As snowe on braunche snawed newe.White was his berd as is the dayesie.Whit was as the flour delys (Flower-de-luce).Yolleden, as fendes doon in helle.As yelowe of hewe
As ony basyn scoured newe.
