Eli5 the difference – idiom, euphemism, adages, innuendo, proverbs, similes, metaphor
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**Idiom** – a common phrase, where the true meaning is not obvious unless you already know it. For example, ‘raining cats and dogs’ doesn’t make any sense unless you know the true meaning: raining heavily.
**Euphemism** – A word or phrase used to handle a situation in a delicate way. Usually to replace a bad-sounding word or term. For example, saying “she passed away” instead of “she died”
**Innuendo** – A hint about something. It can take the form of euphemistic language. Usually it’s highly dependent on context.
For example, when Sue was asked what she liked about her boyfriend, she replied “he’s good with his hands 😉” which implies he’s particularly skilled in the sexual department.
**Simile** – a non-literal phrase that compares two things directly. You can remember it because ‘simile’ sounds like ‘similar’
For example, “Lisa’s voice is like nails scratching a chalkboard” is a simile. Lisa’s voice doesn’t literally sound like nails on a chalkboard, but we understand from this sentence that Lisa’s voice is annoying to the speaker.
**Metaphor** – like a simile, but without the direct comparison. For example, “John’s a walking dictionary” – he’s not literally a dictionary, and he isn’t being compared to one. But the meaning is obvious: John knows a lot of different words.
**Proverb** – A phrase that gives a piece of advice, usually as a metaphor.
**Adage** – Like a proverb, but very short/snappy.
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