The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers)

I have to share these “funniest analogies” with you. They came in an e-mail from my sister. She got them from a cousin, who got them from a friend, who got them from… so they are circulating around. My apologies if you have already seen them.

The e-mail says they are taken from actual high school essays and collected by English teachers across the country for their own amusement. Some of these kids may have bright futures as humor writers. What do you think?

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Published in: on September 12, 2006 at 4:56 pm

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269 Comments Leave a comment.

  1. On September 13, 2006 at 12:20 am benning Said:

    “She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.” ~ Well this just made me giggle!

    “The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.” ~ This makes you wonder just what is going in this student’s head!

    Funny stuff, Judy Rose! Delightful!

  2. On September 13, 2006 at 12:38 am Kenneth W. Davis Said:

    I love this list. When I first received it, I forwarded it to my daughter, who immediately replied, “Thanks for the list. It made me laugh like someone who had read something really funny.”

  3. On September 13, 2006 at 12:51 pm benning's Writing Pad Said:

    We All Can Use A Smile …

    Judy Rose at Writing English (also at Rose Petals), has a fun post that had me sitting there, giggling. Even after I had finished reading, gone to the kitchen to pour myself some Iced Tea, I was still chuckling.

  4. On September 13, 2006 at 4:57 pm judyrose Said:

    Benning, Thanks for your comment and your link. I usually reserve this site for serious writing-related posts, but it’s in keeping with my personality to go for a few laughs from time to time. I really liked these analogies (in the e-mail they were called metaphors, although most of them are really similes - and there we are back at the serious writing stuff again). Glad you got some giggles, chuckles, and Iced Tea out of the whole thing.

    Kenneth, I nominate your daughter’s comment to be entry No. 26! When I first received them, after I stopped laughing (it took a while) I questioned whether these were really from kids’ essays, or made up by some clever writer. But I decided I don’t care. They worked for me.

  5. On September 16, 2006 at 5:09 am Anna Said:

    Judyrose, just to let you know, benning’s posting a part of this at his site is how I came to be here! ;)

  6. On September 16, 2006 at 4:53 pm judyrose Said:

    Hi Anna, Benning visited both of my sites the other day, and I’m glad you found this post through him. It’s good for a few laughs.

  7. On October 14, 2006 at 5:30 pm Squirrel Said:

    All of these are absolutely incredible, they still make me laugh. Thank you so much for such good cheer.

  8. On October 14, 2006 at 7:16 pm judyrose Said:

    Squirrel, Glad you enjoyed them. They kept me laughing too, when my sister first sent them. I love those funny e-mails that people take the trouble to pass along. It’s a real good use of the system, as far as I’m concerned.

  9. On November 16, 2006 at 1:59 pm Ross Said:

    Very funny. As the saying goes, “Kids say the darndest things”. Read any Terry Pratchett? He has the same sort of humour, and can make a simple sentence into one similar to the above samples. Thanks for sharing.

  10. On November 16, 2006 at 6:59 pm engtech Said:

    I love it.

  11. On November 16, 2006 at 7:11 pm judyrose Said:

    Ross: They are pretty funny. I’m not familiar with Terry Pratchett, but will look him up.
    Engtech: Nice kitty! I checked him out on your site. You said he can turn on the stove, but can he cook? I used to have four - no chefs among them.

    Thank you both for visiting.

  12. On November 17, 2006 at 2:58 am The I.T. Monkey :: Analogies are hard… like… a hard thing is. Said:

    [...] I Stumbled across this post like a Monkey who had drank to much Dimatapp after a hard days climbing. [...]

  13. On November 17, 2006 at 3:59 am Reading. Writing. No Rithmetic. » High School Analogies Said:

    [...] {reposted from writingenglish.wordpress.com} « Anagrams and Palindromes   [...]

  14. On November 17, 2006 at 4:26 am Danny B Said:

    Those are incredibly funny!

    I think number sixteen is my favorite :)

  15. On November 17, 2006 at 4:34 am judyrose Said:

    I.T. Monkey and R.W.NR: Glad you liked these enough to share them with your own readers.

    Danny: I kind of like No. 10 myself.

  16. On November 17, 2006 at 2:34 pm Aditya Mehta Said:

    Nice!

  17. On November 17, 2006 at 2:55 pm Scott Said:

    Those really are funny. I had to keep from laughing out loud here at work. Spreadsheets are not supposed to be funny.

  18. On November 17, 2006 at 4:08 pm simone Said:

    we would laugh at the wit if number 6 was written by say, irving welsh. 3 is wonderful too, this site brings joy like discovering that someone really horrible has children so horrible even they don’t really like them.

  19. On November 17, 2006 at 4:36 pm judyrose Said:

    Aditya: Thanks for visiting and having a laugh with me.

    Scott: Glad you enjoyed - but try not to lose your job! I wouldn’t want that on my conscience.

    Simone: You are in the running for #26.

  20. On November 17, 2006 at 7:29 pm engtech Said:

    Engtech: Nice kitty! I checked him out on your site. You said he can turn on the stove, but can he cook? I used to have four - no chefs among them.

    No, he can’t cook. He just leaves “presents”.

  21. On November 18, 2006 at 12:35 am Vicki Said:

    11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

    That’s the best!

  22. On November 18, 2006 at 5:41 pm judyrose Said:

    Vicki: I can’t imagine how that kid got from eerie attics to Jeopardy, but I guess some brains work that way, and that makes for great humor.

  23. On November 19, 2006 at 10:13 am Dragon Said:

    Funny!!!

  24. On November 19, 2006 at 6:01 pm judyrose Said:

    Dragon: I agree. Thanks for the visit.

  25. On November 19, 2006 at 7:28 pm Gabby Said:

    Instead of breaking wind, the aging baby boomer gave an inhaled snort that was both primitive and crude; she became a vulgar and dysfunctional whoopee cushion about to implode.

  26. On November 20, 2006 at 12:08 am judyrose Said:

    Gabby: I usually have a retort, but your analogy leaves me speechless.

  27. On November 21, 2006 at 8:19 am Sara Said:

    hahahaha…those were fantastic!

  28. On November 21, 2006 at 1:22 pm ScientistsCan'tWrite Said:

    I recognize #18 from elsewhere, so if these are high school kids, they’re plagiarizing high school kids… still makes me laugh tho, especially #6.

  29. On November 21, 2006 at 2:13 pm Third Rake Comics Said:

    Awesome Post!

    Third Rake webcomic

  30. On November 22, 2006 at 4:13 pm Lizzzie Said:

    These were just too funny for words! Thanks so much for the laugh. Peace.

  31. On November 22, 2006 at 4:32 pm C Walsh Said:

    These are from a contest — not from kids. Here’s a good explanation of it:

    http://www.lovedungeon.net/humor/misc/analogies.html

    The Style Invitational column can be found here:
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/17/AR2006111700916.html

  32. On November 22, 2006 at 4:48 pm Neatorama » Blog Archive » Funniest High School Analogies. Said:

    [...] See more: The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers)   [...]

  33. On November 22, 2006 at 4:54 pm aspiration. » Funniest High School Analogies. Said:

    [...] See more: The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) [...]

  34. On November 22, 2006 at 5:59 pm Iris* Said:

    They all sound like they’re written by the same person, but still funny as all hell. :D

  35. On November 22, 2006 at 6:02 pm Steve Said:

    These were like a breath of Febreze on a polluted day!

  36. On November 22, 2006 at 6:19 pm Amy Said:

    Nine seems a little familiar *dies*

    Pretty awesome, though.

    ~Amy ^_^

  37. On November 22, 2006 at 9:23 pm Jim Said:

    While the second one was not the funniest, I love the originality. I’ll definitely remember it.

  38. On November 22, 2006 at 10:34 pm tom Said:

    Most of these aren’t any worse than any of the examples you could pull from a Sue Grafton novel, really.

  39. On November 22, 2006 at 10:41 pm debunker Said:

    the funny part to me is how it plays on “adult” snobbishness.

    by framing them as written by “high schoolers” it goads us into a sense of superiority, and we think that obviously it is bad writing.

    these are actually from famous (some not so famous, but at least published) authors.

  40. On November 22, 2006 at 10:58 pm Educational TV Said:

    those are great
    “He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.” was the best one

  41. On November 22, 2006 at 11:03 pm David Watters Said:

    These are completely hilarious. I will definitly be back from time to time to check on your usual subject matter but I love the humor in this post.

  42. On November 22, 2006 at 11:03 pm Stef Said:

    These are great, but like other posters here I wonder how many are actually original. For example, #9. (The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.) sounds suspiciously like Douglas Adams.

  43. On November 22, 2006 at 11:05 pm David Said:

    Thats some funny stuff. I was laughing from start to finish.

  44. On November 22, 2006 at 11:10 pm rampancy Said:

    Wow, absolutely hilarious! Dave Barry and Douglas Adams would be proud…

  45. On November 22, 2006 at 11:10 pm Coopz Said:

    Thank you. That has made my day. Made it into what I’m not sure, but it has still made it.

  46. On November 22, 2006 at 11:24 pm Ed’s Design » Blog Archive » This Article is Like Hot Butter on Your Breakfast Toast. Said:

    [...] I found this great article today while suffering Digg.  It features some of the best analogies used by students in high school English papers.  I have reposted the list below for your viewing convenience! 1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster. [...]

  47. On November 22, 2006 at 11:25 pm stikNstein….has no mercy » Blog Archive » Analogies, metaphors, or similies? Said:

    [...] From a newly discovered Blog: Writing English [...]

  48. On November 22, 2006 at 11:29 pm BobH Said:

    These are years old and phony as a seven-dollar bill…

  49. On November 22, 2006 at 11:32 pm Todd Gack Said:

    Funny stuff, but, I’m sorry, these are not from high school students. Given the path by which they were obtained, I think the high school theory falls into the urban legend trap. The analogies are too sophisticated to be simple misuse of the English language. They are intentionally crafted with great care to be as funny as they are. They sound like they came from the Buwler-Lytton contest.

  50. On November 22, 2006 at 11:46 pm Leo Said:

    Judy,

    I think these are fantastic. As a kid myself, i cant help but smile at the depth of imagination some of these students must have. I’ve sent this out to all my friends.

    Thanks,
    Leo

  51. On November 22, 2006 at 11:47 pm Aaron Said:

    Not from a highschooler, and not an analogy,
    but a classic line uttered by Gina Lollabrigida
    to Frank Sinatra in Never So Few

    “When you kiss me… bells ring wildly in my temples”

  52. On November 22, 2006 at 11:54 pm Morels Web » Archive » The 25 Funniest Analogies Collected by High School English Teachers « Writing English Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies Collected by High School English Teachers « Writing English http://writingenglish.wordpress.com/2006/09/12/the-25-funniest-analogies-collected-by-high-school-english-teachers/trackback/ [...]

  53. On November 23, 2006 at 12:07 am Morten Brunbjergs Blog » Blog Archive » 25 morsomme metaforer Said:

    [...] Stolen from Writing english Kategori: Andres skriveri, Sjov og Uk - Skrevet 23. Nov. 2006 [...]

  54. On November 23, 2006 at 12:11 am Grammar Jokes « Megan Golding Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies, supposedly written by high school students [...]

  55. On November 23, 2006 at 12:20 am Joan Said:

    It made me laugh, like a mad man who realized that everyone was insane and sanity is overrated.

  56. On November 23, 2006 at 12:44 am Spaguy Said:

    I didn’t find these all that funny, perhaps I was expecting more, like after my wife has an orgasim. You would think she would want more of the same and go for a second better orgasim?!? Or when my wife over cookes the pork. She cooks it more to make sure it is safe.

  57. On November 23, 2006 at 1:29 am Top 25 Analogies - Phugg! Said:

    [...] Here are the top 25 analogies that have been collected by high-school teachers. They were taken from actual essays written by students. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef. [...]

  58. On November 23, 2006 at 1:42 am 14blogs Said:

    This is hilarious… thumbs up

  59. On November 23, 2006 at 1:42 am Tommy Said:

    These are total BS.

  60. On November 23, 2006 at 1:42 am Chad Said:

    These sound a lot like noir style writing. I love it!

  61. On November 23, 2006 at 1:52 am Pixelbox Said:

    “…like a hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.”

    That one had me spewing coffee over my keyboard like that little peeing-boy fountain in Europe, only it was out of my mouth.

  62. On November 23, 2006 at 1:55 am Bonfire14: so cool, it sizzles » Blog Archive » The 25 Funniest Analogies Said:

    [...] here are a few from snippets from  The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) 17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River. [...]

  63. On November 23, 2006 at 1:59 am The 25 Funniest Analogies at Philip Said:

    [...] The list is here, more funny analogies are on Digg here. [...]

  64. On November 23, 2006 at 2:55 am The 25 Funniest Analogies « Trading Tacos Said:

    [...] Link Filed under: humor, funny   |   [...]

  65. On November 23, 2006 at 3:02 am insomnity Said:

    haha. number 21 rocks!

  66. On November 23, 2006 at 3:02 am Kat Said:

    Completely lost it by brother-in-law Phil. Tears streaming.

  67. On November 23, 2006 at 3:02 am Kat Said:

    Completely lost it by brother-in-law Phil. Tears are still streaming.

  68. On November 23, 2006 at 3:21 am Drowned at the River » On the Road Again… Said:

    [...] For something completely unrelated to my travel plans, or geeked out ravings, I ran across “The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers)“, courtesy of Digg.  I don’t know if they are legit or not, but they are certainly entertaining. [...]

  69. On November 23, 2006 at 3:38 am lokki Said:

    For those who feel the need to question the actual history, association, or source of these gems, let me be brief; who cares?

    Take them for what they are - funny.

    A little lexical legerdemain never hurt anyone :)

  70. On November 23, 2006 at 4:27 am Like eating lettuce « Shane’s Drivel Said:

    [...] I must be lonely. I’ve not yet recieved the forwarded email which contains the top 25 analogies collected by a high school English teacher. I stumbled across these somewhere on the web. My favorite coming in at number 2: His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free. [...]

  71. On November 23, 2006 at 4:31 am links for 2006-11-23 « Steve Miller’s Blog Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) « Writing English (tags: Humor Funny writing english language Fun List) [...]

  72. On November 23, 2006 at 4:32 am :: TruaxBiology.Com :: » The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) Said:

    [...] Click Here to Read This Article [...]

  73. On November 23, 2006 at 4:50 am Graham English Said:

    LMAO. These are sooo funny, like jokes. :/

    Thanks! :D

  74. On November 23, 2006 at 5:24 am fastfood15 Said:

    1. Beautiful site!
    2. Awesome post! Extremely funny

  75. On November 23, 2006 at 5:30 am Lord Voltara Said:

    Most amusing, but obviously fake. The syntax is very similar.

  76. On November 23, 2006 at 5:40 am that.dork.jordan » Blog Archive » Funny Analogies Said:

    [...] Not much to say other than these are hilarious. Check it out: Funny Analogies. [...]

  77. On November 23, 2006 at 6:23 am ideas per minute » 25 funniest/worst analogies Said:

    [...] These “25 funniest/worst analogies” by High School students have circulated in dozens of places, and I’ve probably seen them more times than I can count — probably you have, too. Fortunately, they’re not only funny, but great examples of what not to do; and possibly off-beat enough to inspire some new ideas of their own. [...]

  78. On November 23, 2006 at 6:24 am HM Said:

    These are all entries in a Style Invitational contest in the Washington Post. Readers were invited to submit their own bad analogies.

    http://monster-island.org/tinashumor/humor/analogy.html

  79. On November 23, 2006 at 6:43 am Ryan’s Blog » Analogy Quotes from High School English Said:

    [...] Since Shanley isn’t keeping up the quote collection, I guess I need to post this. Analogies collected from High School English classes. [...]

  80. On November 23, 2006 at 7:05 am Meow Said:

    To quote Douglas Adams: “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.”

  81. On November 23, 2006 at 7:35 am Jaren Said:

    These are AWESOME!!! — first time I’ve seen them and they just made me laugh! Thanks Judy!

  82. On November 23, 2006 at 7:46 am Charlie Said:

    this is some FUNNY stuff!

  83. On November 23, 2006 at 7:49 am Highway Said:

    Item 9 is like something that Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett would write. Item 20 is clever.

  84. On November 23, 2006 at 8:45 am Top Ten Lists Said:

    [...]The 25 Funniest Analogies[...]

  85. On November 23, 2006 at 10:02 am Something to smile about « Moments Notice Said:

    [...] I just happen to stumble over this blog post. Amusing analogies made by High-School students. My favorite is no.20. [...]

  86. On November 23, 2006 at 10:12 am Krisztina Said:

    these were soooo funny! thanks for posting :)

  87. On November 23, 2006 at 10:24 am Syrinx Said:

    Thanks for posting these! After reading them I laughed so hard, I almost woke up!

  88. On November 23, 2006 at 10:29 am simon Said:

    they may be made by students. heck, i love to ramble on and make analogies. love them like a fat kid loves cake. not sophisticated and not inventive but ehh!

  89. On November 23, 2006 at 10:35 am gaylard Said:

    fake.

  90. On November 23, 2006 at 11:51 am R.Verne Marceau Said:

    Some of the writing on this page, is like dancing on a cloud where there is only open SKI. “TH”

  91. On November 23, 2006 at 11:53 am Robert Roe Said:

    Great is all I can say, enjoyed each and every one of them, but you have to read all of them to enjoy.

  92. On November 23, 2006 at 12:05 pm Funny English Analogies « Gems Sty Said:

    [...] Head on here to see what else you’re missing! [...]

  93. On November 23, 2006 at 12:23 pm ID34.com » The 25 Funniest Analogies Said:

    [...] I have to share these “funniest analogies” with you. They came in an e-mail from my sister. From here. Here are some of the best ones.. “Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.”, “The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.” and “The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.”…. Pretty poor to be honest! No Comments [...]

  94. On November 23, 2006 at 12:36 pm farid Said:

    This is superb.

  95. On November 23, 2006 at 12:39 pm Joyce Guy Said:

    The humor in each of the Analogies evoked the same response in me as tepid coffee…not funny.

  96. On November 23, 2006 at 1:15 pm schani Said:

    No mention of P. G. Wodehouse, maybe the funniest English writer ever? Some quotes:

    …like so many substantial Americans, he had married young and kept on marrying, springing from blonde to blonde like the chamois of the Alps leaping from crag to crag.

    He spun round with a sort of guilty bound, like an adagio dancer surprised while watering the cat’s milk.

    …Aunt is calling Aunt like mastodons bellowing across premieval swamps…

    I turned to Aunt Agatha, whose demeanour was now rather like that of one who, picking daisies on the railway, has just caught the down express in the small of the back.

    Jeeves lugged my purple socks out of the drawer as if he were a vegetarian fishing a caterpillar out of his salad.

    I once got engaged to his daughter Honoria, a ghastly dynamic exhibit who read Nietzsche and had a laugh like waves breaking on a stern and rockbound coast.

    Honoria, you see, is one of those robust, dynamic girls with the muscles of a welterweight and a laugh like a squadron of cavalry charging over a tin bridge.

    The Right Hon. was a tubby little chap who looked as if he had been poured into his clothes and had forgotten to say `When!’

    She fitted into my biggest armchair as if it had been built round her by someone who knew they were wearing armchairs tight about the hips that season.

    She looked like a tomato struggling for self-expression.

    He was, as I had already been able to perceive, a breath-taking cove. About seven feet in height, and swathed in a plaid ulster which made him look about six feet across, he caught the eye and arrested it. It was as if Nature had intended to make a gorilla and had changed its mind at the last moment.

  97. On November 23, 2006 at 1:21 pm The Friends of English Magic » Blog Archive » 25 funny analogies Said:

    [...] Well, I know there’s been too many off-topic posts on FoEM already, but I’d like to share this link of 25 funniest analogies.  We’ve had the annual bad sex in fiction award, but I don’t believe we’ve had any bad analogy awards as yet.  If there was such a thing, I’d think I’d vote for this one: He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up [...]

  98. On November 23, 2006 at 3:43 pm K Black Said:

    These ARE winners and honourable mentions in a bad-analogy contest for grownups (Washington Post Style Invitational), as another poster has mentioned already today. 1. HS students don’t know what analogies, satire, and irony are. 2. With a few notable exceptions, they can’t write for beans. 3. HS students’ humour is of the fart/burp kind.

  99. On November 23, 2006 at 3:55 pm 25 Ways to Improve Your Writing · Lawsy.net Said:

    [...] Via: Writing English [...]

  100. On November 23, 2006 at 4:19 pm lawsy Said:

    These are great, Danny Wallace a popular comedic writer in England uses analogies for humour, often in cases ending up as stupid as some of the High School examples Above!

    I am of HS age, however I am from England an educated country, so I do know what analogies and satire are. As for irony, have you seen some of the tshirts emo and scene kids wear?

    Many adults have humour of the fart/burp kind, who do you think makes up the jokes on movies and television shows? Obviously not kids because “…they can’t write for beans”

  101. On November 23, 2006 at 6:17 pm Bill Claxton Said:

    It begs me to ask the eternal question:
    If it takes a man half an hour to walk half a mile, how long does it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle?

  102. On November 23, 2006 at 6:28 pm links for 2006-11-23 » Whatever’s Interesting Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) « Writing English In case you were stumped for your novel. (tags: Humor Language English Writing) [...]

  103. On November 23, 2006 at 7:03 pm Alley Katt Said:

    I think I may stick some of these on my quotes tags.

  104. On November 24, 2006 at 1:12 am Funny Hobo » Blog Archive » The 25 Funniest Analogies Said:

    [...] Source: Writing English Posted by Hobo Filed in Uncategorized [...]

  105. On November 24, 2006 at 1:18 am judyrose Said:

    I came back from several days out of town and found dozens of new comments. I won’t be able to answer each one individually. Several of you noted that these analogies weren’t written by high school kids, and come from a Washington Post contest, or seem to all be written by the same person. As the post says, I received them in one of those “joke” e-mails that are in constant circulation, had never read them before, found them very funny, and decided to share. I have no idea where they really come from. I don’t care. I just cared that they made me laugh, and hoped they would do the same for you. Obviously, in most cases, they did. Thank you all for visiting my site, and for taking the time to comment.

  106. On November 24, 2006 at 2:34 am bob Said:

    some of these are orignally from Jack Handy (the bowling ball one, and the humingbird one). but may have also been used in a paper.

  107. On November 24, 2006 at 2:58 am Ryan Said:

    Someone commented that these all sound like they came from the same authour. That’s because most, if not all, of these are from Jack Handey’s Deep Thoughs (remember those from Saturday Day Night Live?).

    These are funny, but it’s copyright violation.

  108. On November 24, 2006 at 4:47 am Ryan Said:

    This is one of the funniest things I’ve read in a long time. Great compilation.

  109. On November 24, 2006 at 8:01 am Prime News Blog » Blog Archive » The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) Said:

    [...] “From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you ’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30″read more | digg story [...]

  110. On November 24, 2006 at 8:11 am its about time» Blog Archive » links for 2006-11-23 Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) « Writing English These are genuinely funny :) (tags: blog english entertainment humour language lists analogies humor writing funny) [...]

  111. On November 24, 2006 at 5:33 pm Øystein’s blog » Blog Archive » The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) Said:

    [...] This is extremely funny, take a look here [...]

  112. On November 24, 2006 at 5:46 pm Nogz Blogz 3.4 » LinkDumping: “What Are You Doing This Weekend?” Edition Said:

    [...] Read The 25 Funniest Analogies, because its hilarious! [...]

  113. On November 24, 2006 at 7:23 pm Ted Leonsis Said:

    This is a very funny list. I think I’ve seen something similar in StumbleUpon, n’est-ce pas?

    As I have a lot of teachers in my family these days, I will certainly share this list. Good stuff, and thanks!

  114. On November 25, 2006 at 2:29 am Dodgeblogium : The Guantanamo Bay Of Tortured Analogies Said:

    [...] Allegedly compiled by high school English teachers, a number of wildly-inappropriate similies taken from student writing. I say allegedly because they’re almost too good to be true. Some commenters also expressed doubts. They claimed they came from the Washington Post, which runs contests soliciting bad writing from its readers; others thought it was the work of Jack Handey. [...]

  115. On November 25, 2006 at 5:08 am Random Said:

    “These ARE winners and honourable mentions in a bad-analogy contest for grownups (Washington Post Style Invitational), as another poster has mentioned already today. 1. HS students don’t know what analogies, satire, and irony are. 2. With a few notable exceptions, they can’t write for beans. 3. HS students’ humour is of the fart/burp kind. ”

    “I am of HS age, however I am from England an educated country, so I do know what analogies and satire are. As for irony, have you seen some of the tshirts emo and scene kids wear?

    Many adults have humour of the fart/burp kind, who do you think makes up the jokes on movies and television shows? Obviously not kids because “…they can’t write for beans” ”

    I don’t know about American schools, but Canadian highschoolers tend to have a far more sophisticated sense of humour than that. Take it from me, a member of the aforementioned Canadian highschool community.

    We also contain a surprisingly large amateur-writing community, of which I am again a member. I do not personally possess the sense of humour necessary to think these up, but I believe it conceivable of one with the appropriate mindset. I tend to be funnier in the parody form of humour.

  116. On November 25, 2006 at 6:25 am I download, I click, I Stumbled. « insomnity Said:

    [...] So I installed it and got instantly hooked. The first websites that I stumbledupon were bunch of games and other nonsensical but nevertheless great timewasters. I also got a wonderful view of Niagara, lights of our planet earth, a splash of color and a gallery of everything spiral.Also, musicovery and blogmusik served and satisfied the audiophile in me.  Can you believe that I even found out what the whole US of A is playing on their radio right now? Meanwhile, mrpicassohead and artpad  didn’t help me improve my skills, but instead, worsen my frustration for visual arts.  Thank God, I stumbled upon these funny anagrams and analogies that had me laughing for a while.On serious note, I discovered online tools that are very useful, the most notable of which are: the dropboks  that allows you to upload large files that you can access anywhere, and the iptools, that help you analyze ip address, domain, and other network related stuff.  I also got tips on how to design my coffee and a nice guitar lessons.  And yeah, I now have a new place to search for free books.When it comes to search, don’t limit yourself with google, quotiki searches for quotes, codefetch for source codes, lyricsfly for lyrics. Then there’s another one that searches for album covers.  If you’re looking for God, check out His Yellow Pages to keep in touch with Him.While I can put a lot more links here,  I will not.  I want you to  discover the best of  the world wide web.  Now that I’m done, can I go back to work now?  [...]

  117. On November 25, 2006 at 8:16 am Krunk4Ever! » Blog Archive » Desert Plushies Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) (from Digg) - I have to share these “funniest analogies” with you. They came in an e-mail from my sister. She got them from a cousin, who got them from a friend, who got them from… so they are circulating around. My apologies if you have already seen them. Here are the ones I found very funny: [...]

  118. On November 25, 2006 at 8:28 am Pam Burkhalter Said:

    Although these are extremely funny, this list has been circulating since the 90s. Had the list snail mailed to me back then, and I have shared them with my gifted middle school students. I wish that whoever created THIS list would come up with some new ones because these really are a hoot. Not a chance that real language arts teachers got these from real students…..

  119. On November 25, 2006 at 2:38 pm maxray Said:

    I am not native English speaker. I am even very bad English speaker. But it is fantastic…
    Especially that one about sneezing…

  120. On November 25, 2006 at 4:57 pm judyrose Said:

    Ryan: There is no copyright violation. These analogies, which have apparently been circulating for more than a decade, can be shared under the Doctrine of Fair Use. According to my research (I’m not a lawyer) U.S. Copyright law allows use of copyrighted material under certain conditions, two of which are that the material is not used for commercial purposes and that the material is used for illustration or comment. This is a simplified explanation, but I think the principles apply.

    If you think about it, the whole world of blogging rests on the Doctrine of Fair Use. Imagine if you couldn’t quote from articles or share photos and videos. Bloggers would be shut down in an instant. Using material for comment (which is pretty much what blogging is all about), and receiving no commercial gain from quoted materials, are the key points for me.

  121. On November 25, 2006 at 5:07 pm judyrose Said:

    For those of you who say these analogies couldn’t possibly have been written by high school students, I confess that when I first read them, many sounded like the writing of talented humorists to me. And some reminded me of the funny lines I often find in murder mysteries by Lawrence Block (especially the Bernie Rhodenbarr series). But who’s to say that there are no high school students out there with a real flair for humor? And who’s to say that there are no students who are just dumb enough to write something terrible that turns out to be really funny? There is quite a bit of discussion in these comments regarding the source. But wherever they come from, just relax and enjoy them for the laughs they provide. That’s why I posted them in the first place (after I got back up off the floor).

  122. On November 25, 2006 at 6:53 pm Rob O'C Said:

    Lots of Douglas Adams here - the king of useless and hilarious analogies

  123. On November 26, 2006 at 12:45 am ponyman Said:

    Hi, I like your blog it is simple yet elegant. I am blogging for BNN and have just started to learn about blogging. I have one on Word Press but not doing anything with it as yet nor the one I have on blogit.com which I am doing more with. I think the kids are hilarious and certainly grab a surfer’s attention. Keep up the good work for you are right on in your approach since as that old cliche goes about teaching old dogs….

  124. On November 26, 2006 at 1:15 pm gpoul’s Out Of Memory Blog » The 25 funniest analogies Said:

    [...] The 25 funniest analogies. :-) [...]

  125. On November 27, 2006 at 1:25 am Niclas Said:

    Haha, this is the funniest thing I’ve read all day. Thanks.

  126. On November 27, 2006 at 6:14 am מאבד תמלילים - הגלוב » ארכיון » תחרות האנלוגיות המשעשעות Said:

    [...] עיתונותגיקית מספק קישור לפוסט המציג 25 אנלוגיות משעשעות במיוחד בשפה האנגלית שנאספו על ידי מורים לאנגלית (שככל הנראה קראו חיבורים של תלמידים). הנה כמה אנלוגיות לדוגמה (בתרגום חופשי): [...]

  127. On November 27, 2006 at 7:36 am Froggy Said:

    > Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

    Absof***inglutely brilliant! Nothing more to say…

  128. On November 27, 2006 at 7:47 am John Kozera Said:

    I’m in tears. Hysterical.

  129. On November 27, 2006 at 8:16 am /dev/nikc/blog » Blog Archive » The 25 Funniest Analogies Said:

    [...] Simply hilarious: The 25 Funniest Analogies [...]

  130. On November 27, 2006 at 12:51 pm Gene Said:

    For me, I mentally categorising the different humourous elements in each quote. I thought that several quotes sounded like what an author could have come up with. Such as the following:

    18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

    20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

    I think the snide insults and ironic reversals are typical of some authors. (Like DNA)

  131. On November 27, 2006 at 1:27 pm Chris Said:

    Seems like these kids have been reading their fair share of Norm Macdonald and Douglas Adams.

  132. On November 27, 2006 at 2:14 pm Ricky Said:

    Too farking funny. #14 sounds just like something I’d make up during an essay test out of boredom.

  133. On November 27, 2006 at 4:28 pm judyrose Said:

    Hi Ponyman,
    Thanks for what you said about my blog and my work. Enjoy the development of your own.

  134. On November 27, 2006 at 4:41 pm judyrose Said:

    To all of you who’ve linked and pingback-ed, thanks!
    To all who are falling off your chairs, be careful and don’t break anything!
    …or cracking up at your desks, try not to get fired.

    Don’t you just love it when something is funny enough to do that to you?

  135. On November 27, 2006 at 8:31 pm John A. Leonard Said:

    This is indeed yet another example of taking (polite-speak for stealing) material from The Style Invitational, a weekly column in the Style section of the Washington Post which has numerous regular contributors. Proper credit should be paid to the authors and source. The humor isn’t diminished by mis-labeling it, but still…

  136. On November 27, 2006 at 8:54 pm John A. Leonard Said:

    For those who found these amusing (what an understatement), I suggest a visit to
    http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ which is an annual contest:

    “Since 1982 the English Department at San Jose State University has sponsored the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, a whimsical literary competition that challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels.”

    Each year has true gems from all over the world.

  137. On November 27, 2006 at 10:03 pm judyrose Said:

    Dear John: I didn’t steal them. I just posted the content of a funny e-mail. (One reader has commented that these have been circulating since the 1990s.) I had no reason to question whether they really came from high school students. I took the title at face value. After I picked myself up off the floor, I wanted to share them with my readers.

    Your comment mentioned yet another source, one among many that have been cited as the origin of these analogies. Evidently, there are many collections of funny analogies and other humorous turns of phrase, and many authors who have a particular flair for this kind of writing. I would gladly give credit if I were certain where this specific group originally came from. But I’m not. So I’ll just say to the writers, whether high school students, contestants, or published authors, thanks for making me (and roughly 120,000 other people who have read them on my site) laugh.

  138. On November 28, 2006 at 12:43 am Swapna Krishnan Said:

    This was hilarious !! Made me laugh out loud when I was at work. :)

  139. On November 28, 2006 at 1:14 am Dmitri Said:

    Good lord, people, I’m from Ukraine, so english’s not my native, but those still made me cry from laugh…

  140. On November 28, 2006 at 3:20 am Seth’s Golden Prophetic Vision « The Penciled Sky Said:

    [...] There is this email that has been circulating.  It lists 25 funniest analogies/metaphors collected from (supposedly) actual high school essays. (Many commentors of this blog believed they were actually written by established writers, and not simple misuse of English language by high school students.) [...]

  141. On November 28, 2006 at 2:20 pm Andrea Said:

    It was traditional at my secondary school for the staff to collect such items from the students’ exams. These were then peppered throughout the school yearbook, among the announcements of prizes won and pictures of people’s artwork. Each year, as publication of the book came closer, pupils all over the school started to get nervous that their faux pas would be chosen.

    I have a number of years’-worth of such yearbooks, containing reams of similar cock-ups and, while I can’t confirm the veracity of the ones on this page, I can state with certainty that kids can and do come up with some astonishing things when asked to write.

    As an example, I leave you with just one such gem, from the yearbook of 1982: “Shakespeare took up writing plays and probably started with ‘Love’s Labours Lost’ or ‘Kiss Me Kate’. Much of his work was written after his death.”

    Enjoy!

  142. On November 28, 2006 at 3:20 pm Life, it is a Travesty… » links for 2006-11-25 Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) « Writing English Excuse me while I go throw up from my stomach trembling so hard. This list is hilarious beyond belief. (tags: humor toread omfg rotflmao) [...]

  143. On November 28, 2006 at 4:26 pm The Rev'd R E Langford Jr, FAPC Said:

    Greetings!
    A delightful selection, no matter from whence it
    comes or whither it goes. Nos. 4 & 5 were good,
    but Nos.12, 13, & 14 had me chuckling and chortling so that m’wife came in to see if I were
    A-o.k. M’son-in-law, an editor and professional
    writer would chastise me for this next remark, but
    I do not see the error of failing to “give credit”
    where credit may be due. Were every remark were
    to be thus annotated, why I suppose all the world
    would be filled with cross-referenced material.
    Blessings, R E LANGFORD JR (ret.)

  144. On November 28, 2006 at 4:33 pm judyrose Said:

    Andrea: I loved the Shakespeare example you gave. Amidst all this controversy over the origin of the analogies, thank you for defending goofy kids everywhere.

  145. On November 28, 2006 at 4:43 pm judyrose Said:

    Reverend Langford: I’m in favor of crediting copyrighted work, and in freely sharing public domain work, both under the Doctrine of Fair Use which I mentioned about 25 comments ago. But I applaud your sentiment and as a reader, would probably never bother to wade through text where the thought was constantly interrupted by citations and footnotes. Imagine all the work a person would have to do before getting to the punchline, which would then be flatter than a flounder. This doesn’t hold for scholarly work, or work for profit, but on blogs written for the sake of commentary and fun, I think it’s okay. Thanks for writing.

  146. On November 28, 2006 at 4:48 pm judyrose Said:

    To the writer from “Life - it is a Travesty”, and all the others who experienced streaming tears, trembling stomachs, falling off chairs, and the other dangers of reading these analogies: Who would have imagined that I would cause so much physical chaos to so many people in so many countries just by passing along a few jokes? If, for the rest of my life, every tear I cause is shed in laughter, it will be a most wonderful achievement.

  147. On November 28, 2006 at 9:05 pm eCitizen Said:

    I laughed like a small child surprised by someone making a funny face and the persons face was not funny looking enough to be scary.

  148. On November 28, 2006 at 9:21 pm judyrose Said:

    Hi eCitizen: It’s hard to write one that’s as funny as the ones that happened by accident.

  149. On November 29, 2006 at 1:38 am Ryan’s World » Rant Said:

    [...] Well, today a terrible thing happened… Freida and her family left for Kenya. I’m not sure when they are coming back, but they will be gone for nearly forever. Today Mrs. I gave the Composition class a list of the 25 Funniest Analogies. I’m sure that John would be thrilled to talk to you about them. Also this afternoon, a bunch of us practiced our music assignment in the library at school. It actually sounded very nice at the end, some of the time. As you may have noticed, I have a new design as the template for my homepage. I have had some feedback, but unfortunately most was negative. Before I start on a new one, please comment on what you would like it to look like. I may or may not choose to clone it, but I want my design to be something that most of my readers like. [...]

  150. On November 29, 2006 at 3:54 am .gustavs blogg Said:

    [...] Innan jag går tänkte jag bara ge dig ett länktips http://writingenglish.wordpress.com/2006/09/12/the-25-funniest-analogies-collected-by-high-school-english-teachers/ [...]

  151. On November 29, 2006 at 8:38 am Stochastically Alf Rehn » Some great writing Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) « Writing English 9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t. [...]

  152. On November 29, 2006 at 6:20 pm Debora Said:

    Giggling? Chuckling? Is that all you folks could muster up? I nearly cracked some ribs! These were great and have changed the whole outlook on the rest of my day!

  153. On November 29, 2006 at 6:44 pm judyrose Said:

    Thanks Debora, that’s very nice to hear.

  154. On November 30, 2006 at 3:38 am Shfoosmuck Said:

    Number eighteen: “Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.” Is actually a very good metaphor.

  155. On November 30, 2006 at 4:35 am Late Night Hump Day Link Dump at The End of Dave Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) [...]

  156. On November 30, 2006 at 6:07 am Steven Rich Said:

    This was so funny. Well done! Great GiGl!
    You can find more funny stuff here too.
    It’s like Digg but only for laughs.
    This article was GiGld on GiGld.com

  157. On November 30, 2006 at 6:18 am links for 2006-11-27 at James A. Arconati Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) « Writing English The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) -… they are taken from actual high school essays and collected by English teachers across the country for their own amusement. Some of these kids may have bright futures as humor writ (tags: writers blogs funny teachers kids articles quotes entertainment) [...]

  158. On December 1, 2006 at 7:30 pm Will Said:

    My English teacher read these to us in class, and then I stumbled upon them on the web. Hm.

  159. On December 2, 2006 at 12:48 am H@nn@h Said:

    This is so funny, even for a 42-year old girl from the Netherlands! Lol! I’ll go to bed smiling now, and will show this to my (language loving) friends and family, tomorrow! Thnx!

  160. On December 2, 2006 at 7:19 pm Rei Said:

    “Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.”

    Sounds like someone has been infected by the algebra bug; not surprising if it was exam season.

  161. On December 3, 2006 at 2:44 pm Interesting Links » Oldstone Place Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies [...]

  162. On December 3, 2006 at 7:18 pm writing is fun at I Hate Titles Said:

    [...] I read this post and found it hilarious some of the analogies that people created. Numbers 9 and 10 are pretty good ones: [...]

  163. On December 3, 2006 at 7:19 pm Jay’s Headspace - » Linkage 11/30/2006 Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) « Writing English [...]

  164. On December 5, 2006 at 7:15 pm Matt Murray Said:

    I love the one about the hummingbirds. I’d like to shake that person’s hand. The one about the bowling ball, however, smacks of being ripped from SF/humor writer Douglas Adams, who decribed, in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a fleet of spaceships which “hung in the air in exactly the same way that bricks don’t.”

  165. On December 7, 2006 at 2:19 pm Odile Schmidt Said:

    These analogies are not only very funny, they show how people connect ideas to each other in another way than we learn. It’s fascinating. These children are creative thinkers.

  166. On December 11, 2006 at 1:47 am Bill Said:

    I needed a good laugh today :)

  167. On December 11, 2006 at 6:16 pm Cayce Said:

    This list is as funny as that strange guy that hangs around after school to watch high school football practice even though he doesn’t have any kids.

  168. On December 11, 2006 at 10:12 pm Jeff Said:

    “This list is as funny as that strange guy that hangs around after school to watch high school football practice even though he doesn’t have any kids.”

    Fortunately, they were all funnier than you are. :-)

  169. On December 11, 2006 at 11:55 pm Jetta Said:

    Everybody tries to describe this, but it’s (this is gonna suck) as impossible as gas prices going back down. (i know it sucks but it’s true :-D)

  170. On December 12, 2006 at 10:05 pm Herb Waldner Said:

    The biggest joke is that it keeps popping up all over my hard disk. Any idea how I can delete the damn thing?

    H/W

  171. On December 12, 2006 at 10:42 pm PJ Said:

    Read this one somewhere. Author unknown.

    “She was stacked like a fat man’s plate at a one time through smorgasbord.”

  172. On December 12, 2006 at 10:51 pm judyrose Said:

    Hi Herb: I have no idea how that happened, or what to do. Perhaps some other readers can help. Anybody?

  173. On December 13, 2006 at 5:53 am Debby Said:

    Funny! Reminded me of a hotel signboard in Tokyo: “Please take advantage of the waitress.” Cheers!

  174. On December 18, 2006 at 5:32 am Stephan Kinsella Said:

    Similes, you mean?

  175. On December 18, 2006 at 6:51 am judyrose Said:

    Hi Stephan: When the e-mail originally came to me, it was entitled “25 Funniest Metaphors,” but they are not metaphors. Most of them are similes, but not all. Since both similes and metaphors are subsets of analogies, it seemed most correct to just call them analogies.

  176. On December 20, 2006 at 1:17 pm Life’s Weirder Than Fiction » Funny Analogies Said:

    [...] Over at Writing English, I happen to fall on this post about 25 funny analogies. They’re tagged as the 25 funniest, and I don’t know that I haven’t read funnier ones than that, but they’re pretty funny. Those analogies were collected ty High School teachers. Here are some of my favorites: [...]

  177. On December 23, 2006 at 11:54 pm The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) : Popular Bookmarks : eConsultant Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) Posted in bookmarks | Trackback | del.icio.us [...]

  178. On December 24, 2006 at 7:47 am Of Interest » Blog Archive » The 25 Funniest Analogies Said:

    [...] Here’s a list of the 25 funniest Analogies (Collected by English Teachers). [...]

  179. On December 26, 2006 at 4:41 am next Said:

    Who cares if they are from highschool papers or not. They are funny none the less. Gave me a good chuckle and put a smile on my face

  180. On December 28, 2006 at 4:51 pm sharon Said:

    Here I sit in an empty school trying to get some work done over the holiday break. If anyone walks by, he will think I am insane - these are truly laugh-out-loud funny!

  181. On December 31, 2006 at 4:04 am seanvora.com » Had to hold on to this one Said:

    [...] 25 funniest analogies collected by high school english teachers [...]

  182. On January 4, 2007 at 12:41 am mylifestartsatfortytwo.com » The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) Said:

    [...] The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) [...]

  183. On January 4, 2007 at 3:15 pm Stanley Lyndon Said:

    Wow. I was searching for humor on the web when I came across this list. It is awesome. Really well written, and bliss to read. And, this is coming from someone who had been in the comedy field for more than 20 years.

    Keep up the good work!
    Stan.

  184. On January 5, 2007 at 3:51 am judyrose Said:

    Thank you, Stan. I wish I could take credit for the analogies, but I’m just the messenger.

  185. On January 8, 2007 at 6:47 pm Post : Tea in the Yahara Said:

    [...] happen to appreciate the true art of a well turned phrase, then you won't want to miss this: 25 funny analogies collected by high-school English teachers. (My favorite? Probably #24.)=====”I will not go 10,000 miles from here to help murder and kill [...]

  186. On January 9, 2007 at 7:21 pm Daniel Sharp Said:

    This is exelllent! It makes me want to follow suit. This list is just sublime silliness.

    I don’t have an analogy to add, but I did have a student who began a paragraph in an economics assignment ach with “I may not know what I’m talking about, but that just proves my point.” Needless to say, it didn’t really prove her point at all, through she was right that she didn’t know what she was talking about.

  187. On January 9, 2007 at 7:51 pm judyrose Said:

    Hi Daniel,
    I love your contribution, so I think we should start a new list and not limit it to analogies. Currently, your entry is at No. 1.

    Do any other teachers out there have something to add?

  188. On January 10, 2007 at 6:44 am Teagen Said:

    Wow, so cool! Being a high-schooler myself, I know what some kids can come up with.

    In regards to a previous comment:

    “1. HS students don’t know what analogies, satire, and irony are. 2. With a few notable exceptions, they can’t write for beans. 3. HS students’ humour is of the fart/burp kind.”

    1 - I know what analogies, satire and irony are, as do all of the kids at my school.
    2 - A lot of the students in my school write in their spare time, some even published.
    3 - High-school humour has nothing to with that of the fart/burp kind. I’d much rather share a joke with a sarcastic or intelligent person than one who jokes about farts.

    Thankyou for the wonderful reading! They were great!

  189. On January 10, 2007 at 7:13 am judyrose Said:

    Hi, Teagen: I’m glad you enjoyed the analogies. I know there are lots of kids out there who are developing good writing skills, along with an appreciation for clever humor. Sometimes, when you’re in a silly mood, juvenile humor is funny too. But I would hate to be limited to that. It gets old really fast. Like you, I prefer something that registers in the more evolved portions of my brain. Thanks for writing.

  190. On January 10, 2007 at 9:07 pm myra joy Said:

    you people write waaaaaaaaaaay to many comments

  191. On January 11, 2007 at 4:36 pm Larry P Said:

    Sounds like things that could have been used by Lesley Nielson in the Naked Gun movies. lol

  192. On January 21, 2007 at 5:19 pm science teacher Said:

    Very funny… don’t care where they came from. And by the way, high schoolers are often VERY sophisticated writers. The fart/burp humor is more often associated with the middle school crowd. Take it from a sixth grade teacher… I know!

  193. On January 22, 2007 at 1:32 am barnabas Said:

    how about: “It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall.”

    -Brian Broadus, Charlottesville

  194. On January 25, 2007 at 11:16 pm Jonathan Kennedy Said:

    Those were absolutely stellar.

  195. On February 9, 2007 at 9:20 pm Tiphanie Said:

    That was hilarious. Thank you for the laugh; I now just HAVE to share this with others.

  196. On February 21, 2007 at 9:21 pm Caitlin Said:

    Funniest frikin stuff i have heard in a while. nice job guyssss.
    kudos from mee. :]

    keep it real.

  197. On February 24, 2007 at 4:48 pm bether Said:

    I wonder if the teacher who collected #9 realizes that it is very similar to a line from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.”

  198. On February 25, 2007 at 5:27 am judyrose Said:

    Hi Bether, If you look back at some of the earlier comments, you’ll see that a few others mentioned the same thing.

  199. On February 28, 2007 at 2:26 am The Empress of The Style Invitational, The Washington Post Said:

    To clarify: These hilarious analogies, all written by very funny and clever adults (at least chronological adults), are indeed among the winners of two Style Invitational bad-analogy contests that ran in The Washington Post in 1995 and 1999. Stay tuned for a reprise of the contest in the next few weeks.

    The Invitational, written and judged by an anonymous Empress, runs every Sunday in The Post and features a wide variety of humor contests, from wordplay to song parodies to funny photos. The humor ranges from highbrow to lowbrow, and is by far the edgiest material in The Post. You can see the current Invitational and about 100 past contests at http://www.washingtonpost.com/styleinvitational.

    The Empress

  200. On February 28, 2007 at 2:40 am judyrose Said:

    Thank you, Empress. You’ve given us the definitive answer to where the analogies really came from.

  201. On March 1, 2007 at 10:18 pm Tea in the Yahara Said:

    [...] in the tradition of those “funny analogies collected by high school teachers” (which, if you're anything like me, you've had e-mailed [...]

  202. On March 5, 2007 at 5:12 pm Harry L Said:

    It appears that some of these students should be teaching the classes! Many of those are hilarious!

  203. On March 9, 2007 at 8:36 pm Robin Shaver Said:

    I am a high school teacher, and I absolutely loved these analogies. I have been in elementary for a long time, and this is my first year at the high school level. I can just imagine students making comments like these. Would it be possible to send a copy my way? shaverr@brevard.k12.fl.us

  204. On March 10, 2007 at 12:38 pm Shannon Said:

    I like the quote: “John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.” I wonder what they were thinking . . .

  205. On March 12, 2007 at 4:51 am Dan Said:

    My high school teacher actually shared these with us, he mention that number three is something I might write. Don’t know how I feel about that.

  206. On March 12, 2007 at 1:39 pm J.E.O Said:

    This is just A WASTE of space, im a student in yr 10/High School in England London. Reading this is just useless. I don’t see how you can make a joke out of this. What if the pupil was very proud of this work and your sitting there making jokes out of it. Is this not what YOU teachers teach US. I’m ashamed of you teachers.

  207. On March 12, 2007 at 5:13 pm judyrose Said:

    Hi J.E.O.,
    Take a breath. First of all, it turns out these are part of a Washington Post humor contest. That means they’re the best, not the worst. If you read all the other comments here, you’ll see that almost everybody found these analogies extremely funny. So they did the job.
    I, for one, think they are wonderful (no matter what the title of the original e-mail was), which is why I posted them.
    P.S. Kids can be funny when they don’t mean to. That’s part of their charm.

  208. On March 20, 2007 at 3:35 pm Shawn Said:

    This is some funny stuff and yes it was a contest for the worst analogies so the teachers are not making fun of them.

    10 is my favorite!

  209. On March 20, 2007 at 7:29 pm judyrose Said:

    Hi Shawn,
    I like #10 too. They always cut away just before that shot in the detective shows.

  210. On March 23, 2007 at 1:55 am Coram Deo Said:

    I received this today from a friend.

    Having your post mass e-mailed around the country must help the blog traffic!

    Very funny indeed!

  211. On March 24, 2007 at 10:06 am Status Said:

    Same as Coram Deo…

  212. On March 24, 2007 at 3:39 pm judyrose Said:

    Coram Deo and Status,
    You’re right. I’m not sure why it happened, but everybody seemed to pick up on this post.

  213. On April 12, 2007 at 1:55 pm chummers Said:

    First I snickered, then I laughed, then I forwarded, then I read some more. Like the electrons running my machine, I touched each one and felt lit up from each. As the binary code embedded in all turned me from off to on I laughed. I did indeed giggle, I surely smiled and now I am happy.