sayings with as...as

1. Sayings with as...as
La i nf or maci ón compr endi da en est a pr esent aci ón es conf i denci al y per t enece a Di ver bo- I ni ci at i vas en
I di omas. Cual qui er f or ma de di vul gaci ón, r epr oducci ón, copi a o di st r i buci ón t ot al o par ci al de l a mi sma
queda pr ohi bi da, no pudi endo ser ut i l i zado su cont eni do par a ot r os f i nes si n l a aut or i zaci ón de Di ver bo-
I ni ci at i vas en I di omas.
Grammar

2. Sayings with as...as
In another lesson you study that ‘as…as’ is used to make
comparisons. There are 4 possibilities.
• As + adjective + as:
Spain is as big as Poland.
• As + adverb + as:
I don’t live as dangerously as Bear Grylls.
• As + uncountable noun + as:
Wine doesn’t have as much alcohol as brandy.
• As + countable noun + as:
J.R. doesn’t have as many horses as Mr. King.

3. Sayings with as...as
There are also several phrases that use ‘as…as’ as.
As soon as –– tan pronto como

What is something that you do as soon as you get home?

4. Sayings with as...as
As far as I know – que yo sepa

Finish these sentences with a logical conclusion:
As far as I know, my bank______________.
As far as I know, the city hall in my town____________.

5. Sayings with as...as
As long as – siempre que

Finish these sentences with a logical conclusion:
I will eat tuna, as long as___________.
I would work in Africa for a year, as long as__________.

6. Sayings with as...as
Sometimes we use expressions with ‘as…as’ to highlight a
defect or feature of a person or thing. Often, they are
exaggerations.

If somebody says that you are as blind as a bat, it doesn’t
mean that your vision is as limited as a bat’s, but that you
don’t see very well.

7. Sayings with as...as
Match the following conditions with the ‘as…as’ phrase
that best describes it.

1. Stuart is very pale.
2. Angus has been sunbathing all week without sunscreen.
3. Ralph needs to gain some weight.
4. Bruno has been lifting weights for many years.

A. He’s as strong as an ox.
B. He’s as thin as a rail.
C. He’s as white as snow.
D. He’s as red as a lobster.

8. Sayings with as...as
Try to think of a logical ‘as…as’ phrase for the following
situations.

Don’t eat that bread, it’s from yesterday.
Yes, it’s______________________. (hard)

9. Sayings with as...as
Don’t eat that bread, it’s from yesterday.
Yes, it’s as hard as a rock.

Is the weather nice in Seville in August?
No, it’s___________________.

10. Sayings with as...as
Is the weather nice in Seville in August?
No, it’s as hot as hell/an oven/a furnace.

Your wife is always doing something, isn’t she?
Yes, she’s ___________________. (busy)

11. Sayings with as...as
Your wife is always doing something, isn’t she?
Yes, she’s as busy as a beaver/bee.

La Mancha has a lot of mountains, doesn’t it?
No, it’s ________________. (flat)

12. Sayings with as...as
La Mancha has a lot of mountains, doesn’t it?
No, it’s as flat as a pancake.

13. Sayings with as...as
You might remember the differences between ‘like’ and
‘as’. In this case, you can use ‘like’ in a similar way.
If somebody makes a lot of noise and is very sloppy when
he or she eats, we can say ‘you eat like a pig’.
You could also say ‘he is as sloppy as a pig when he eats’.

14. Sayings with as...as
‘To be like a bull in a China shop’ means to be clumsy
and/or to be in a potentially dangerous situation.
Do you know anybody who is like a bull in a China shop at
a social event?

15. Sayings with as...as
Talking to my boss is like talking to a wall.
What do you think this means?

16. Sayings with as...as
She eats like a bird.
Does this mean a person eats a lot?

17. Sayings with as...as
Something that sells like hotcakes (tortitas), sells very
well.
If you could open a stand at the beach in summer, what do
you think would sell like hotcakes?

18. Sayings with as...as
Match the situation with the ‘like’ expression that best
summarizes it.

1. The government is observing them closely.
2. They don’t do very much.
3. They move around the city quite easily.
4. Those pants look perfect on you.

A. They are watching them like hawks.
B. They fit like a glove.
C. They are like bumps on a log.
D. They know it like the back of their hand.

19. Sayings with as...as
When was the last time you:
 slept like a log?
 felt like a fish out of water?
 felt like a million bucks?

20. Sayings with as...as
Listen to the following dialogue. Although you would
probably never hear so many of these phrases in one
conversation, try to understand the general meaning and
then answer the questions that follow with an ‘as…as’
expression.

21. Sayings with as...as
1.Did Anthony feel a little bad after eating an oyster?
2.Do they think Anthony is a strong guy?
3.Was Anthony satisfied with the solution that the
company offered?
4.Did he frequently complain until the company offered
compensation?
5.Are either of the speakers still confused about the
situation?

22. Sayings with as...as
Sometimes an ‘as…as’ expression doesn’t make sense, and
it is used in an ironic way.
The sofa is as light as a rock = it’s not light
This text is as clear as mud = it’s confusing

23. Sayings with as...as
If something is
‘as plain as day’ it means
that it is obvious.
What is as plain as day in
this picture?
Have you ever put your foot
in your mouth (meter la pata) in
a situation like this?

24. Sayings with as...as
To say that somebody is insane,
we sometimes use ‘to be as crazy
as a loon’.
A loon is a North American bird
whose cry makes it sound crazy.
Do you know any famous people
who are as crazy as a loon?

25. Sayings with as...as
When somebody is calm under pressure, you could
describe him or hers as being ‘as cool as a cucumber’.
Can you think of a movie whose main character was as
cool as a cucumber?

26. Sayings with as...as
When would you use the expression ‘as black as tar’?