Metaphors
- Alfa [=plant]
- Adam’s rib
- amusement of the street
- anchor f vs canoe m
- angel
- at his side
- in bed
- in the street
- timid –
- young -
- ankle boot
- ants
- antelope
- ape (see also monkey)
- apple
- apple tree
- April without rain
- apron
- arrow
- arse
- ass
- autumn
- axe
- cabbage
- cachaça [= cake in the oven]
- calabash
- empty -
- neighbour’s -
- full of palm oil
- unornamented -
- calamity f vs blessing m
- camel
- canary
- cane f vs nerves m
- candle
- candlestick f vs candle m
- capon
- car
- carrot
- case
- cassava
- castle
on the border
on the frontier
- cat
- angry -
- f vs dog m
- silent f vs miaowing f
- cattle
- cattleman’s mug
- chain round the feet
- chatterbox
- chattering
- cheese
- freshly made -
- f vs bread m
- fresh - f vs old mouse m
- cherry
- cherry blossom
- chick
- chest f vs key m
- chestnut f vs breadfruit m
- chicken
- chimney, smokey -
- chop
- chrysalis
- chrysanthemum
- church, as safe as
- cigarette
- claim-beatings-again
- clay pipe climbing plant
- climbing plant
- clock
- clockwork, unsafe -
- cloth
- clothes, discarded -
- cluster of palmnuts
- coal
- coat near the thornbush
- cob f. vs parakeet m
- coconut
- coffee, hot -
- coins
- colony of hares
- column of black ants
- common road
- company
- cooking-pot with a lid
- copper pot
- coral
- corn, grain of -
- corn cob
- cotton flower
- cover
- cow
- bellowing -
- capricious -
- in the stable
- lowing -
- of the devil
- of Satan
- old -
- roaring - (check orig.)
- that butts
- vs tiger m
- vicious -
- crab
- creeper (ivy)
- crocodile
- crooked hole f vs crooked nail m
- crooked rib
- cross
- crow
- crown
- f vs head m
- of gold
- on the (man’s) head
- of/to her husband
- crystal
- cup
- cupboard
- cunt f vs bird m
- dam f vs river m
- dangerous rock
- date (fruit)
- date palm
- day
- days of spring
- death
- as true as -
- more bitter than -
- debts
- deer
- demon
- desert
- destiny
- destroyer of the world
- devil
- at his elbow
- at home
- husband’s -
- in the house
- in the kitchen
- unhorned -
- worse than the -
- devil’s
- cushion
- daughter
- doornail
- friend
- nets
- trap
- whip
- work
- dew
- diamond
- dictionary f vs word m
- dirt heap
- disease
- of the head
- of the stomach
- dish
- earthenware - f vs wooden spoon m
- for the gods
- new -
- of rice
- old -
- shallow -
- someone else’s -
- tastiest -
- without salt
- dish towel
- distaff
- divinity
- dog
- doll
- donkey
- door
- dove
- dowry
- dragon
- dress
- beautiful -
- green -
- lace -
- long -
- of silence
- silk -
- threadbare -
- torn -
- drop of water on a lotus leaf
- drum
- dryness, superfluous -
- duckweed on a river
- dung, duikers’ -
- dung beetle
- dustbin
- dzomo (hybrid of yak and cow)
- earth
- echo in her husband’s house
- egg
- eggplant
- elephant
- embroidery of life
- enemy
- essence
- Eve vs Adam
- evil
- at the bottom of all -
- essential -
- eternal -
- necessary -
- root of all -
- store of all -
- treasury of -
- worst of all -
- ewe vs ram
- eye
- family
- fan in autumn
- farthing, old
- fashion doll in the street
- feast
- fence, low
- fetish
- fever
- ficus
- fiddle strings
- field
- bean -
- fertile -
- horse in the -
- infertile -
- open -
- overgrown -
- pea -
- fig
- filly, wild -
- fire
- f vs firewood m
- f vs kitchen m
- fire bearing fire
- firefly, silent -
- fireplace for cooking
- firewood, green f vs fire m
- fish
- caught -
- dead -
- hilie –
- rotten -
- sea-
- sinking -
- without bones
- fleas
- bag of a hundred -
- sack full of -
- flood
- flour
- flower
- alive
- beautiful -
- cotton -
- deadly -
- faded -
- in the house
- lonely - on a mountain top
- lotus -
- of the swamp
- of beauty (her husband’s)
- on the wall
- poplar -
- pretty -
- that poisons
- vs bee m
- vs rock m
- withered -
- fly
- flying fox
- food
- good -
- handful of –
- without salt
- foolishness
- foot
- forest, holy
- fortress f vs guard m
- fortune
- fowl
- fox
- frailty
- friend
- best friend at home
- good friend
- of the devil
- frog
- fruit
- fast riping -
- forbidden -
- garden
- green -
- of the bread tree
- ripe -
- ripe pandanus -
- fruit tree
- fruitless tree
- fur coat
- furniture
- garden
- fruit –
- inhibited -
- of blessings
- one’s own -
- trespassed by cattle
- gargatea [fruit]
- garment
- gate to hell
- gazelle
- general
- giant
- girauman (vegetable)
- glass
- fragile -
- f vs stone m
- thin -
- Venice
- glory
- gloves
- goat
- by candlelight
- in the field
- vs hill
- vs.pig
- without horns vs goat with horns
- god
- God’s gift
- goddess
- gold
- in purses
- f vs straw m
- f vs. mirror m
- newly forged -
- golden coin Check
- golden pillar
- gombo [plant]
- good (a)
- gong
- goose
- gossip
- gourd
- grain receptacle f vs ear of corn m
- grape juice
- grapes
- grass
- fresh - f vs old horse
- new - f. vs old bull
- tender -
- young -
- green leaf
- grey mare
- greyhound
- guanabana [tropical fruit]
- guerdon, goodly -
- guest in her own house
- guinea fowl
- guinea hen
- guinea pig
- guitar
- gunpowder f vs fire m
- invalid man
- iron
- cold
- iskni (see harvest basket)
- ivy
- jackcrow
- jar
- jewel
- Jill vs Jack
- joom (forest clearing by burning)
- joy
- jug
- kettle
- key
- golden -
- to life’s mystery
- killer
- king
- kittle [queer] cattle
- knife
- f vs fork m
- short - f vs long - m
- knitted sock
- Kuan Yin [very beautiful woman and goddess of Mercy]
- ladder
- lady
- lake
- vs flood m
- vs river m
- vs waterfall m
- lamb f vs wolf m
- land
- lantern without light
- lap
- Latin
- Latin-bred
- laurel
- leaf
- fallen -
- lotus -
- pierced -
- tobacco -
- leaves and branches f vs tree m
- leftovers from dead man
- leg, broken -
- lehua blossom
- leopard
- leprosy
- licker
- light of the house
- lightning
- lilies that fester
- lily
- linen
- lion/ess
- liquor
- load
- loaf already cut
- log of wood
- loneliness
- long braid
- long dress
- long hair
- looking-glass
- lotus flower
- loud-in-the-lawn
- love-potion
- low fence
- luck
- lump of dough
- Lutheran
- magpie
- maize cob
- mango
- man
- man’s
- anchor
- body
- equal
- glory
- life
- slave
- manioc
- mare
- grey -
- without a rider
- young - that rears
- with a sweet gait
- Maria
- marriage
- mast
- master
- mat
- mate, bitter
- meadow
- meat
- Mediterranean f vs Nile m
- melancholy
- melon
- bad -
- big and sweet -
- uncut -
- merchandise
- metate [= a woman always working]
- midrib of a coconut tree
- milk f (young) vs yoghurt f (old)
- milk of a young coconut
- mill
- millet (someone else’s)
- millstone, worn out -
- mimosa tree
- mind
- minister f vs king m
- mint
- mirror
- mischief
- misfortune
- modesty
- molar
- mongoose skin
- monkey
- money for a beggar
- moneybox
- moon
- in the middle of the day
- f vs sun m
- mortar
- golden f vs iron pestle m
- motorcycle
- mountain
- mouse
- mud
- mulberry on the wayside
- mule
- on heat
- tamed by somebody else
- mule’s bridle
- mushroom
- music
- muwogo [cassava plant]
- nail
- at the hell’s door
- crooked -
- of cart
- nanny-goat vs billy-goatneedle
- on-the-seabed
- ’s eye
- without an eye
- neck
- net
- nettle, stinging -
- newspaper
- night without moon
- nightcap f vs head m
- nightingale
- no person
- not a human being
- noodle f
- ntsatsi
- nut
- ogress
- oil palm
- old man’s
- coffin
- mail horse to the grave
- olive tree
- one-I-place-under-me
- onion
- onions, bunch of -
- orange (fruit)
- orchard
- ornament
- ornaments f vs. intelligence m
- oven
- oven shovel
- owl
- ox
- package of smuggled salt
- palavers
- palm
- palmwine
- pan
- vs dipper m
- earthen -
- frying-
- on the fire
- of a widow
- tin -
- without a handle
- pancake with honey f vs bear in the forest m panther
- paradise for the eye(s)
- parcel
- parrot
- partridge f
- parwe
- pastry
- patchwork
- path
- paved road
- pea, bitten
- peach
- peacock
- peanut
- pear
- pear tree
- pears, prickly -
- peas on the pavement
- pen
- pepper
- perfume
- petticoat
- petrol f vs match m
- pheasant
- pie
- piece of cloth
- piece of land
- piece of wood
- pig
- pig’s snout
- pigeon
- pilchard
- pill
- pillar
- golden -
- in the house
- of the house
- of half of heaven
- pineapple
- pipe
- pitcher
- plague
- plant
- plantation
- plate
- plough
- ploughing field
- handle pot
- plum
- poison
- poisoner
- poisonous creeper
- poisonous
- poncho
- pond
- porcupine
- pot
- cooking
- earthen -
- small -
- small but well strirred
- smaller -
- f vs lid m
- f vs spoon m
- potato
- potsherd in the sweepings
- potter
- precious jewel
- priceless treasure
- problem
- prostitute
- pumpkin
- punishment
- purgatory
- daily -
- in the house
- for a neighbour
- for the guy
- for the moneybox
- for the purse
- on earth
- puzzle
- rabbit
- rain
- rain kisses m vs earth smiles f
- rat
- revolver
- red hair
- reptile
- rib
- Adam’s -
- crooked -
- broken -
- ribs that snap when you want to straighten them
- ribbons of a petticoat
- rice
- cold -
- dish of -
- hulled - f vs paddy m
- pealed - f vs paddy m
- at night
- sack of -
- rice bin f vs ear of corn m
- riff-raff washtub
- rifle
- ring
- of a gate (everyone knocks at it)
- golden - in the snout of a swine
- road
- rock, dangerous -
- rogue
- roof
- root of all evil
- root of quarrel
- roots of yam
- rose
- in a small town
- f vs. bird m
- that still has to unfold its petals
- withered -
- without scent
- rose bud
- rose laurel
- rudder f (also rudder m)
- ruin
- tapioca cakes
- tares
- tatami (= mat)
- teacup f
- tealeaves, stale
- tears
- teeth f
- temple
- tent
- termite
- thief
- thing
- bitter -
- devilish -
- large-size -
- most beautiful -
- that makes you blush
- thorn hedge
- thorn’s point
- thorns
- thread f
- vs needle m
- follows needle
- silken -
- thunder
- tiger
- tiger mother
- tigress
- tit(s)
- toadstool
- tobacco f vs pipe m
- tobacco leaf
- tongue f
- of flesh vs bony neck m
- long -
- soft -
- toothache
- toothcleaner
- torment
- tortoise
- towel
- traitor
- treasure
- invaluable -
- main -
- priceless -
- worthless -
- tree f
- apple -
- bad -
- banana -
- barren -
- beautiful -
- birdless -
- bread -
- fig -
- grafted -
- green f vs desiccated m
- growing on the wall
- meadow-
- mimosa -
- olive -
- palm -
- pear -
- pine -
- planted -
- shadow of -
- straight -
- unpeeled bark of -
- walnut -
- with many branches
- without blossom
- without fruits
- tree m vs leaves and branches f
- trouble
- trunk [tree - ]
- tub
- tufts of hair
- turban
- turkey, fat
- turkey mum
- turnip
- turtle dove
- tusks
- tv
- twig
- vagina
- vanity
- vase
- china f vs cobble stone m
- vat, earthen -
- vegetable garden
- vegetables in one’s own garden
- vegetables from other gardens
- veil
- velvet
- verse
- vessel
- vine
- vineyard
- along the wayside
- harvested -
- on the main road
- violin
- Virgin Mary
- wall
- round the house
- of mudbricks
- surface of a
- with cracks
- walnut
- wasp
- water
- beginning of the -
- clean -
- cloudy -
- vs fire m
- fresh -
- lily
- melon, unsliced -
- melon f vs pumpkin m
- muddied -
- rolling on a lotus leaf
- shallow -
- spilt -
- unwelcome -
- watch
- wave
- wax
- way to prison
- wayside
- mulberry on the -
- vineyard along the -
- wealth
- weapon
- weather
- weathercock
- well-trodden road
- weather in April
- weeds
- weight f vs weighing rod m
- well
- weasel
- weather
- weaving loom f vs axe m
- wheat
- wheaten bread
- wheel
- whistle, small -
- whip of Satan
- wili wili [plant]
- whore
- wiggling arse
- willow
- alongside the road
- rotten -
- wind
- wind and water
- windows looking out on the street
- wine
- bad -
- new -
- old -
- stale -
- wings f
- an angel with –
- her husband’s –
- flying fox’s -
- of a man’s soul
- winter wind
- winter weather
- wisteria f vs pine tree m
- witch
- withered rose
- with trousers
- wizard
- woe
- wolf
- Irish wolf
- she-wolf on her back
- womb
- wood
- dry -
- green -
- rotten -
- to make a farm gate with
- wood saw
