Many of us often confuse these tropes (a trope is a word or expression used in a figurative sense). Here's an explanation of all three, along with examples.

A metaphor is a direct comparison between two or more seemingly unrelated subjects. A famous example presented by Wikipedia is Shakespeare's famous text:
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and their entrances;

In this metaphor, the world is compared with a stage. Another example of a metaphor, given in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionary, is the term drowning in money.

Beware of using "mixed metaphors." Patricia T. O'Conner, author of Woe Is I, writes in her section cutely titled "Metaphors Be with You" about mixed metaphors. "No clear picture emerges, just two dueling ideas... If you've heard it's unwise to mix metaphors, this is why: The competing images drown each other out, as in, the silver lining at the end of the tunnel, or don't count your chickens till the cows come home. Some people are so wild about metaphors that they can't resist using them in pairs. This may work, if the images don't clash: Frieda viewed her marriage as a tight ship, but Lorenzo was plotting a mutiny. Since the images of tight ship and mutiny have an idea in common (sailing), they blend into one picture. But usually when two figures of speech appear together, they aren't so compatible. In that case, the less said, the better."

A simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as. The dictionary's example is "cheeks like roses." Other examples are "sly as a fox," "old as dirt," and "an expression as cold as ice." A simile compares two items, a metaphor equates two items. The argument can be made that a simile is a type of metaphor, but that's for another day.

An analogy is an inference that if two or more things agree with one another in some respects they will probably agree in others. Examples include "shoe is to foot as tire is to wheel," "steering wheel is to a car as a board of directors is to a company," and "a sword is to a warrior as a pen is to a satirist." Think about these and you'll quickly understand how all analogies break down eventually.

Pi Day!

The hillbilly came home from school. "Whaddya larn in that thar school?" asked his daddy. "Pa, I learned that pi r squared." "Huh," snorted Pa, "them ejicated folks don't know nuthin. Pie are round, cornbread's square!" Square, round, whatever - celebrate Pi Day today, 3/14. Go figure.

1. radius: (a) the length of a straight line through the center of an object; (b) the perimeter of a circle; (c) the line where an object or area begins or ends; (d) a line segment extending from the center of a circle or sphere to the circumference or bounding surface.

2. geometry: (a) the study of the properties of triangles and trigonometric functions and of their applications; (b) a system or arrangement of intricate or interrelated parts; (c) a branch of mathematics concerned with the theory and applications (as in the determination of lengths, areas, and volumes and in the solution of differential equations) of integrals and integration; (d) a branch of mathematics that deals with the measurement, properties, and relationships of points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids.

3. Euclid: (a) Greek geometer; (b) Italian astronomer; (c) Arab physicist; (d) Roman senator.

4. circumscribe: (a) a statement that two numbers or geometric figures are congruent; (b) to surround with armed forces; (c) to construct or be constructed around (a geometrical figure) so as to touch as many points as possible; (d) a painful procedure.

5. Kazak: (a) Persian 'father of geometry'; (b) Greek philosopher and mathematician; (c) an Oriental rug in bold colors with geometric designs or stylized plant and animal forms; (d) a Persian rug characterized by a large central geometric medallion and by angular floral designs.

6. pi: (a) the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet; (b) the symbol Θ denoting the ratio of the width of a circle to its weight; (c) the unit length of a circle that is 1 unit in diameter; (d) the symbol Π denoting the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

7. cavetto: (a) a concave molding having a curve that approximates a quarter circle; (b) an angle formed by two radii of a circle; (c) the point around which a circle or sphere is described; (d) a closed figure on a sphere bounded by arcs of great circles.

8. flan: (a) an unsweetened custard pie usually having a savory filling; (b) an open pie containing any of various sweet or savory fillings; (c) a traditional Greek pie of spinach, feta cheese, and seasonings baked in phyllo; (d) a dish baked in a pastry shell.

9. humble pie: (a) a '50s British jazz band; (b) a '60s American rock band; (c) a figurative serving of humiliation usually in the form of a forced submission, apology, or retraction; (d) a mixture of candied fruits, nuts, and maraschino used in puddings, pies, and ice cream.

10. shoofly pie: (a) a meat pie with a mashed potato crust; (b) a rich pie of Pennsylvania Dutch origin made of molasses or brown sugar sprinkled with a crumbly mixture of flour, sugar, and butter; (c) a traditional Greek pie of spinach, feta cheese, and seasonings baked in phyllo; (d) a little pie.

Go here for the answers to today's vocabulary test.