See Also:ALERTNESS, SCRUTINY, WATCHFULNESS

1. (When listening he is) as focused and as still as a chipmunk spying something unknown from atop a stone wall —Philip Roth about Primo Levi, New York Times Book Review, October 12, 1986
2. The attention [of listeners] is like a narrow mouthed vessel; pour into it what you have to say cautiously, and, as it were, drop by drop —Joseph Joubert
3. Attention rolled down like a window shade —Sharon Sheehe Stark
4. Attention [of students] sinking … like sluggish iron from the cooling crust —John Updike
5. Attentive and indifferent as a croupier —George Garrett
6. Attracted about as much attention as a flea in a dog pound —Ross Thomas
7. Attracted about as much attention (in the artistic world) as the advent of another fly in a slaughter house —James L. Ford
8. Attracted as little attention as a dirty fingernail in the third grade —Ring Lardner
9. Attracted attention like the principal heads in a picture —Honoré de Balzac
10. Collected attention like twists of silver paper or small white pebbles —Elizabeth Bowen
11. Concentrates … like a cancer victim scanning a medical dictionary in hopes that the standard definitions have been repealed overnight in favor of good news —James Morrow
12. Curiosity, keen and cold as a steel knife —Maxim Gorky
13. Deaf as a door nail —Thomas Wilson

    This is the best known of many “Deaf as” similes. It’s used in its literal sense as well as to describe inattentiveness. Popular variants include “Deaf as a post,”“Deaf as a door,” and “Deaf as a stone.”

    See Also:DEATH

14. Deaf as a piecrust —Lawrence Durrell
15. (Had honed her ability to turn) deaf as a snail —Joseph Wambaugh
16. Drinking it [information] like a bomber pilot getting ready for a mission —Harvey Swados
17. (The hoot of laughter that always made Mary) flick him off like television —Sumner Locke Elliott
18. Had taken in her every anecdote as completely as a recording machine —Louis Auchincloss
19. Heads are turning like windmills —Arthur Miller
20. Heedless as the dead —Lord Byron
21. His eyes wandered, like a mind —Penelope Gilliatt
22. His mind keeps slipping away like a fly —John Rechy
23. Inattentive, like the ear of a confessor —Mary McCarthy
24. Intent as a surgeon —Jean Stafford
25. Interest spread like a net —Nadine Gordimer
26. (She could not keep her mind on anything;) it [her mind] kept darting around like a darning needle —Jean Stafford
27. Leaned forward … like hounds just before they get the fox —Stephen Vincent Benét
28. Leapt from theme to theme like a water-bug —Eleanor Clark
29. Listened as intently as a blind woman —Rita Mae Brown
30. Listened, very still, like a child who is being told a fascinating and gruesome fairy tale —Isak Dinesen
31. Listen like an uncle —Herbert Gold
32. Listen … like snakes to a charmer’s flute —Jan de Hartog
33. Mind jumps from one thing to another like drops of water bouncing off a larded pan when you test whether the griddle is hot enough to pour the pancake batter in —John Hagge
34. My mind wanders like smoke —Clifford Odets
35. Pricked up his ears like two railroad signals —Lewis Carroll
36. [Poets] receive the same care as xylophones and equestrian statues —Delmore Schwartz

    See Also:ABANDONMENT

37. Seems not to listen to her words, but rather watches her forming them … like some fervent anthropologist —William Boyd
38. Snaps to attention like a thumb —Irving Feldman
39. (He tried to apply his mind to the work he was doing but his) thoughts fluttered desperately, like moths in a trap —W. Somerset Maugham
40. The words bounced off Harry, like pebbles skipped on water —Paul Kuttner
41. (So scatter-brained that) words went by him like the wind —Louisa May Alcott