Metaphor Meaning Road map to success/peace/war/etc. A plan that acts as a guide to something, the way a map acts as a guide to a location Tidal wave of fame/misery/happiness/etc. An overwhelming amount of some emotion or quality Housing/dot-com) bubble An industry that expands but inevitably and suddenly breaks Elephant in the room A subject or topic that is being ignored even though it’s very obvious Flogging/beating a dead horse The pointlessness of continuing to argue a point that is already over with Late bloomer Someone who develops later than most people develop Mama bear A woman who is as protective of her children as a mother bear is Moral compass Someone or something that guides another person in making moral decisions Drowning in a sea of sadness/bitterness/anger/etc. A vast, deep emotion that overwhelms a person Music to one's ears Describes something that is as pleasing to hear as music Heart of gold Someone whose heart is so pure and kind that it is as valuable as gold Heart of a lion Someone who is as brave as a lion, an animal that symbolizes bravery Light/sunshine in one's life Someone or something that introduces joy into a depressing situation Gray skies A depressed mood Love is war/a battlefield/etc. Love is difficult or harsh To judge a book by its cover Used in a situation in which someone is judging something by looking at the appearance rather than the content The domino effect A situation in which one thing after another topples over or collapses The snowball effect A problem or issue that gets bigger as it continues moving along To have a dry spell A period of time in which one lacks creativity and is unable to produce anything as a result A melting pot Combining cultures and traditions, blending them together My cup runneth over A situation in which many good things are happening in one’s life The Holy Grail of A valuable symbol or artifact of something Forbidden fruit Something that acts as a temptation To be someone's whipping boy Someone who takes a beating for someone else All Greek to me Something that is complicated and not understood News or information that is a bombshell News that comes as a sudden and devastating shock To be a leech Someone who drains the energy or power from someone To be a deflated balloon Someone whose hopes were expanding and were suddenly let down Smooth sailing A situation without any disruptions or anticipated problems Caught in the crossfire Someone who is dragged into someone else’s argument The dawn of a new day A new start A diamond in the rough Someone or something that is very valuable or beautiful but exists in a rough state or condition Plenty of fish in the sea There are plenty of potential romantic partners in the world