Hi. This is Stiever Robbins, host of the Get It Done Guys' quick and dirty tips to work less and do more.

Grammar Girl is working on her book this week, and since I do a lot of public speaking, she asked me to talk about how to use similes and metaphors to spice up your

speaking and writing. Metaphors and similes both call attention to how two different things

are similar, so people listening to you can apply the qualities of one thing to the other.

The difference between metaphors and similes is that similes hit you over the head with

the comparison by using explicit words such as like or as. When John Bon Jovi sings,

My heart is like an open highway. That's a simile because he used the word like to directly make the comparison.

Metaphors, on the other hand, don't use direct comparison words.

When Tom Cochran sings, life is a highway.

Life is a highway, I won't ride it on. That's a metaphor, because there's no words such as like or as.

Metaphors are a bit more subtle.

You can remember the difference between similes and metaphors

by remembering that simile has the letter L in it,

just like the word like, which you often use in a simile.

People use these figures of speech when speaking romantically.

Dearest, your eyes sparkle as starlight in the water of a deep, cool well.

The speaker is drawing a parallel between his beloved's eyes and starlight in a well. She doesn't actually

have wells for eyes. If she did, she would slosh when she walked. But her eyes do sparkle,

and that is the connection he's drawing. You can also use metaphors and similes to help explain

concepts that confuse your listener.

First, identify the point you want to explain.

Then find a topic your listener might know well, where that point also comes up.

...