Question

What is the most likely meaning of the phrase "I could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far" in this sentence? It is hyperbole that means that the author's eyes were wide with fear. It is a simile that means that the author's hat was falling over his eyes. It is an oxymoron that means that the author could not see anything. It is personification that means that the author's eyes were too big for his face.

Answer 1

Answer:

It is a hyperbole that means that the author's eyes were wide with fear.

Explanation:

A hyperbole is an exaggeration to prove a point. For example: "I had a thousand pages of homework." You can't possibly have that much homework;  it is exaggerated to show how much homework you have.

A simile is a comparison to another thing using the words "like" or "as." For example: "My pile of homework was as thick as a box."

An oxymoron is using two words together that contradict. For example: "My homework was finished at school." Normally people do homework at home, so it is contradictory(opposite) to do it at school. Another example is "the boiling hot ice." Usually ice is freezing cold, so it is contradictory for it to be hot.

Now that you know these figures of speech, we can answer the question. It's not a simile because it isn't comparing anything with the words "like" or "as." It's not an oxymoron because there is no contradictory statement. So, it is a hyperbole. It is exaggerating how far the person's eyes were sticking out.