Read the excerpt from Mark Twain's memoir, Life on the Mississippi. I was quaking from head to foot, and I could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far. 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?
Answer
A
It is an oxymoron that means that the author could not see anything.
B
It is hyperbole that means that the author's eyes were wide with fear.
C
It is a simile that means that the author's hat was falling over his eyes.
D
It is personification that means that the author's eyes were too big for his face.
Explanation
The author says he was “quaking from head to foot,” which shows that he was very frightened. Saying his eyes stuck out so far that he could hang his hat on them is an exaggerated image, or hyperbole, emphasizing how wide his eyes were with fear. It is not a literal description of his eyes or hat.
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