What does quiet as a church mouse mean?

Quiet As A Mouse Meaning Definition: To be extremely quiet.

Was as poor as a church mouse?

If someone is as poor as a church mouse they are extremely poor. An other similar phrase is hungry as a church mouse. The phrase is derived from the fact that church buildings don’t store or provide food and therefore mice in such buildings were utterly destitute.

What is the origin of quiet as a church mouse?

Silent, without noise, as in She sneaked into the house, quiet as a mouse, or When he heard the news he was still as a mouse. The first of these similes dates from the mid-1500s, the second from the 1300s.

What is the meaning of church mouse?

Having little or no wealth and few possessions, as in She’s poor as a churchmouse, so you can’t expect her to donate anything. The reason for this long-used simile is unclear, but most believe that, since churches are not known for storing food, a mouse inside one would fare poorly.

Is quiet as a mouse a metaphor?

A metaphor compares two dissimilar things without the use of like or as. Simile: She is as quiet as a mouse.

What is the definition of dirt poor?

Definition of dirt-poor : suffering extreme poverty.

What is the story of the church mouse?

The Church Mice series is a series of children’s picture books written by English writer Graham Oakley. The books focus on the adventures of a group of church mice who live in an old gothic church in the fictional town of Wortlethorpe, England, and their guardian, Sampson the cat.

Which poet laureate wrote about a church mouse?

John Betjeman

Sir John Betjeman CBE
Betjeman in 1961
Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom
In office 20 October 1972 – 19 May 1984
Monarch Elizabeth II

What is a church mouse?

churchmouse (plural churchmice) A mouse living in a church; used in similes to suggest a very poor person.

Is as quiet as a mouse a hyperbole?

Simile: She is as quiet as a mouse. Metaphor: She is a mouse sneaking across the bare floor.

What does pure as snow mean?

Morally unsullied, chaste
Morally unsullied, chaste, as in She’s just sixteen and pure as the driven snow. This simile dates from the late 1500s, although driven, which means “carried by the wind into drifts,” was occasionally omitted.

What does as straight as an arrow mean?

Honest, genuine
Honest, genuine, as in You can trust Pat with the money; he’s straight as an arrow. This simile alludes to the arrow’s undeviating flight through the air. [ Second half of 1900s]