In comparison (as) sober as a judge also Frazeosemantichesky two options that characterize a person with different sides: 1) completely sober2) sober in judgment, sane .
Some comparative EF used to describe the parts of the human body.
(as)heavy as lead – (How are poured lead)
His head felt empty,… his feet heavy as lead
(as) pale as ashes –сильно побледневший (strongly pale)
Presently Montanelli rose and came back with lips as pale as ashes (E.
Voynich).
Comparative EF can indicate the subject property and the property
person, for example, (as) hard as a bone
1) solid as a rock(твердый как камень): Owing to the intense cold the ground was as
hard as a bone.
2) cruel, ruthless(жестокосердный ,безжалостный): It's not much use your expecting any
generosity or kindliness from him. He's as hard as a bone in anything that
concerns his own interests.
(As) sharp as a needle –
1) острый как нож: How the boys admired that knife, the vicious shape
of it and its shininess, the point was as sharp as a needle (J. Steinbeck).
2) наблюдательный, проницательный: I know a solicitor here - he's a
patient of mine - of the name of Gooch, a fat fellow but sharp as a needle
(J.B. Priestley).
A similar semantic structure and have some other
adjectival comparison: (as) light as a feather - light as a feather(легкий, как перышко) (about
object or person); as like as two peas = (похожие,как две капли воды)similar as two drops of water (about
objects or people); (as) slippery as an eel – (скользкий, как угорь)slippery as an eel (about
slippery subject or about Dodge, quirky person); (as) tough as
old boots -1) as rigid sole (жесткий , как подошва), (about dish et al.); 2) very hardy,
proof(Очень выносливый, стойкий), (of a man); hard (жесткий),(the person).
Adjectival comparisons can be treated as a person, as well as to
animal, for example, (as) free as (the) air - free as the wind(свободный, как ветер), (about
human or animal).
EF (as) dead as a doornail (or as mutton) applies to a person,
and to the customs, traditions, etc .:
1) without L. signs of life, lifeless; died
finally, "cover": (Без каких-либо признаков жизни,бездыханный, погиб окончательно ,»крышка» Old Marley was as dead as a doornail (Ch.
Dickens).
2) turned into a dead letter, inoperative, its main
properties, disused, disappeared without a trace(превратившийся в мертвую букву,утративший силу, свои основные свойства, вышедший из употребления, исчезнувший без следа) : Mr. Crabbe was
as dead as mutton, but Mr. Crabbe continued to write moral stories in
rhymed couplets (W.S. Maugham). ; The word dead in the first
Frazeosemantichesky variant is used literally, but in the second -
metaphorically. A similar phenomenon is observed in the above-quoted
comparisons (as) slippery as an eel, and (as) tough as old boots. In these and
like them all revs value FE is a kind of
Rethinking the combination of partially and fully Rethinking
Frazeosemantichesky options comparative type. polysemy
EF such closely linked to the polysemy of the first components.
Some comparative FE never belong to any man, nor to
subject, as to any statements (Wed clear as day, as old as the world),(ясно как день,старо как мир)
actions and the like, for example, (as) certain as death - inevitable as death(неотвратимо как смерть)
(as) clear as mud-
1) is unclear, it is dark: (совершенно не ясно, дело темное)
The matter is rather complicated; but I hope I've made it clear to
you. About as clear as mud so far! Suppose you start all over again from
the beginning.
2) clear as day (ясно как Божий день)
She was trying to hook young Bob for that sprig of a girl - it was
clear as mud (J. Galsworthy).
Feature comparison semantics (as) clear as mud is the presence of
antonymous Frazeosemantichesky options.
Among adjectival comparison is with a few turns
unmotivated second component. In addition to comparing (as) dead as a
doornail - no signs of life, such comparisons are a few more:
(as) bold as brass - brash, brazen, shameless (Wed copper forehead); (as)
mad as a hatter - out of my mind, most of the survivors of the mind; (as) plain as a
pikestaff - unquestionably = clear as day, clear as day (pikestaff - Keystone.
packstaff - stand, which laid out his itinerant traders
goods). In such cases, unmotivated connection between the first and second
reference component.
Список литературы:
Курс фразеологии современного английского языка/ - 3-е издание, 2005