like a magpie
- idiom
- Informal
:
como una urraca
- Ever since he was a child, he has been like a magpie—unable to resist anything that sparkles.
Examples
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She collects jewelry and trinkets like a magpie when she visits markets.
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His desk was covered in gadgets and shiny pens; truly, he is like a magpie.
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She collects jewelry like a magpie.
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He is drawn to bright colors like a magpie.
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When shopping, she picks up every shiny object like a magpie drawn to glitter.
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His collection of small, reflective items grew larger each year; he truly is like a magpie.
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During the festival, children are like a magpie, excited by all the shimmering decorations.
Antonyms
How Attracted
Surface Forms
Morphology
The simile 'like a magpie' is directly and transparently derived from 'like' (similar to) + 'magpie' (a bird known for being attracted to shiny objects); a learner who knows both words can infer that it means being attracted to glittering items. The construction follows a common cross-linguistic pattern of 'like + animal' comparisons, so the intended meaning is immediately comprehensible to B1 learners who know the constituents.
Etymology
The phrase like a magpie comes from the bird magpie, which people imagine loves to collect bright, shiny things. So, calling someone like a magpie means they are 'attracted to shiny things' and cannot resist sparkly objects.