Have you ever heard the expression “as American as apple pie?” This expression is an example of a phrase in English that compares two things. It uses the following formula:

noun + be verb + as + adjective + as + noun

Here are some more examples:

My dog is as old as my cat.
Have you tried skateboarding? It is as hard as it looks.
I’m as good with phrasal verbs as a native speaker.
Laser tag is as fun as indoor rock climbing.
La Jolla is as crowded as usual.

The best thing about the “as . . . as” comparison is that you do not have to change the adjective to a comparative (adding “-er”) or superlative (adding “-est”) form. Keeping the adjective the same means that you will probably make less mistakes! It’s as easy as pie (another great expression!).

Here are some more useful “as . . . as” idioms:

as blind as a bat (can’t see)
as cool as a cucumber (very cool, laid-back)
as busy as a bee
as clean as a whistle
as free as a bird
as happy as a clam
as hard/tough as nails
as plain as day (when something is obvious)
as sick as a dog
as soon as possible

Can you guess the adjectives for the following idioms?

as ______________ as hell
as ______________ as a lion
as ______________ as an elephant
as ______________ as a mouse
as ______________ as a feather
as ______________ as mud (sarcastic)

Answers

as HOT as hell
as BRAVE as a lion
as CLUMSY as an elephant
as QUIET as a mouse
as LIGHT as a feather
as CLEAR as mud (sarcastic)

“As American as apple pie” and other “as . . . as” English expressions

noun + be verb + as + adjective + as + noun