What does as mad as a hornet mean?

What does as mad as a hornet mean?

What does as mad as a hornet mean?

Very angry, enraged
Very angry, enraged as in Mary was mad as a hornet when her purse was stolen, or Upset? Dan was mad as hell, or The teacher was mad as a wet hen. The use of mad for “angry” dates from about 1300, but these similes are of much more recent vintage (1800s, early 1900s).

Is angry as a hornet a simile?

Mad-as-a-hornet definition (simile) Extremely angry.

What does hornet stand for?

HORNET

Acronym Definition
HORNET Hybrid Opto-Electronic Ring Network (Stanford University/Sprint)

Why is a wet hen mad?

Mad as a wet hen and mad as a hornet were coined in the United States in the early half of the 1800s. There is a story that farmers used to dunk broody hens into a barrel of water in order to snap them out of their reverie, causing the hens to squawk and react negatively. This story may be apocryphal.

Where does deaf as a post come from?

The first simile has its origin in John Palsgrave’s Acolastus (1540): “How deaf an ear I intended to give him he were as good to tell his tale to a post.” It has largely replaced deaf as an adder, alluding to an ancient belief that adders cannot hear; it is recorded in the Bible (Psalms 58:3–5).

What type of figurative language is I am as mad as a hornet?

List of AS…AS Similes

simile meaning
as mad as a hornet very angry
as nutty as a fruitcake completely crazy
as obstinate as a mule very obstinate, stubborn
as old as the hills very, very old

What does like a hawk mean?

Definition of watch (someone or something) like a hawk : to watch (someone or something) very carefully The storeowner watches those teenagers like a hawk whenever they come in because she’s afraid they’re going to steal something.

What is a sentence for hornet?

Hornet sentence example. It made Janet as mad as a hornet , but Martha’s back in the classroom. The “Essex” and ” Hornet ” were not in company. Many gardeners have reached into the green leaves to pluck a berry, only to feel the harsh sting of an angry wasp, hornet or bee who was also sampling the wares.

What is a hornet nest?

A hornets’ nest is a paper-like structure made from wood chewed by hornets. The size of a hornets’ nest can depend on the size of the colony but can be as large as a basketball and appear to be made out of a paper mache-like material. Most nests are shaped in the form of a teardrop and contain one single entrance.

Where did the term madder than a wet hen come from?

Madder’n A Wet Hen When hens were brooding (angry and troublesome), Southern farmers used to dunk them in cold water in an effort to make them snap out of this phase. By doing so, they could collect eggs more easily.

What does dead as a doorknob mean?

Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead
(simile) Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead. I tried the flashlight, but the battery was as dead as a doorknob.