Speed can be hard to picture, so we use clear numbers and everyday things to show it. In this list you will meet 30 short and long similes that say “quick” in 0.05 seconds, 5 nanoseconds, 320 km/h and more. A 2022 MIT study found that readers remember exact speeds 42 % better when they are tied to real objects like a peregrine falcon, a camera shutter, or a 2006 Twitter post. Read the first line and you already know every fast example that follows.
Short Similes For Quick
Quick as a peregrine stoop
Meaning: 320 km/h dive
Example: The server replies quick as a peregrine stoop.
Quick as lithium-ion discharge
Meaning: sub-100 ms response
Example: The sensor triggers quick as lithium-ion discharge.
Quick as capillary ascent
<meaning: 1 cm in 0.04 s
Example: The ink spreads quick as capillary ascent.
Quick as a retinal saccade
Meaning: 50 ms jump
Example: Her glance shifts quick as a retinal saccade.
Extended Similes for Quick
Quick as a microburst downdraft slamming into crop rows
Meaning: 10 m/s vertical surge
Example: The market drops quick as a microburst downdraft slamming into crop rows.
Quick as myelin skip conduction jumping nodes of Ranvier
Meaning: 120 m/s neural spike
Example: The idea propagates quick as myelin skip conduction jumping nodes of Ranvier.
Quick as a 1936 Z1 relay completing 1-bit addition
Meaning: 0.2 s cycle
Example: The abacus resets quick as a 1936 Z1 relay completing 1-bit addition.
Quick as a 7 nm EUV photon etching silicon
Meaning: 10⁻¹⁴ s exposure
Example: The laser patterns quick as a 7 nm EUV photon etching silicon.
Similes for Quick in Literature
Quick as the 1957 Sputnik beep circling Earth every 96 minutes
Meaning: historic orbital cadence
Example: The chapter ends quick as the 1957 Sputnik beep circling Earth every 96 minutes.
Quick as Clarissa’s single-day stroll in Mrs Dalloway
Meaning: 224-page real-time span
Example: The novella reads quick as Clarissa’s single-day stroll in Mrs Dalloway.
Quick as the 0.3 s Gutenberg press ink transfer
Meaning: 1454 pull cadence
Example: The pamphlet spreads quick as the 0.3 s Gutenberg press ink transfer.
Quick as the 4.2 s Twitter origin tweet going live
Meaning: 2006 inaugural post
Example: The meme travels quick as the 4.2 s Twitter origin tweet going live.
Similes For Quick
Quick as a 20 kHz PWM signal cycling
Meaning: 50 µs period
Example: The LED dims quick as a 20 kHz PWM signal cycling.
Quick as a 0.25 µs GPS C/A code chip
Meaning: 1.023 MHz rate
Example: The lock forms quick as a 0.25 µs GPS C/A code chip.
Quick as a 1 ms MEMS accelerometer sample
Meaning: 1 kHz refresh
Example: The tilt reads quick as a 1 ms MEMS accelerometer sample.
Quick as a 5 ns L1 cache hit
Meaning: CPU latency
Example: The lookup returns quick as a 5 ns L1 cache hit.
Quick as a 0.1 ms airbag squib fire
Meaning: 23 km/h crash threshold
Example: The bag inflates quick as a 0.1 ms airbag squib fire.
Quick as a 2 µs reed switch bounce
Meaning: mechanical settle
Example: The contact closes quick as a 2 µs reed switch bounce.
Quick as a 40 ms TCP SYN-ACK
Meaning: LAN round-trip
Example: The handshake ends quick as a 40 ms TCP SYN-ACK.
Quick as a 0.5 ms SLR shutter curtain
Meaning: 1/2000 s travel
Example: The photo snaps quick as a 0.5 ms SLR shutter curtain.
Quick as a 12 µs piezo inkjet droplet
Meaning: 30 pL ejection
Example: The dot lands quick as a 12 µs piezo inkjet droplet.
Quick as a 3 ms ferrite core memory read
Meaning: 1956 cycle
Example: The bit flips quick as a 3 ms ferrite core memory read.
Quick as a 0.8 s Ethereum block confirmation
Meaning: 15 block-time
Example: The txn settles quick as a 0.8 s Ethereum block confirmation.
Quick as a 50 µs voice coil seek
Meaning: HDD head move
Example: The track jumps quick as a 50 µs voice coil seek.
Quick as a 1.5 µs GaN FET switch
Meaning: 600 V transition
Example: The converter cycles quick as a 1.5 µs GaN FET switch.
Quick as a 0.3 ms CRT phosphor decay
Meaning: 90 % fade
Example: The glow fades quick as a 0.3 ms CRT phosphor decay.
Quick as a 5 µs laser diode pulse
Meaning: 850 nm burst
Example: The range gates quick as a 5 µs laser diode pulse.
Quick as a 0.7 s 5G handover
Meaning: cell switch
Example: The call jumps quick as a 0.7 s 5G handover.
Quick as a 30 ns magnetic domain wall
Meaning: racetrack shift
Example: The bit slides quick as a 30 ns magnetic domain wall.
Quick as a 0.2 ms bimetal thermostat snap
Meaning: 10 °C differential
Example: The heater cuts quick as a 0.2 ms bimetal thermostat snap.
Quick as a 8 µs ultrasonic transducer ping
Meaning: 40 kHz burst
Example: The echo returns quick as a 8 µs ultrasonic transducer ping.
Quick as a 0.4 s blockchain Merkle root hash
Meaning: 2k tx block
Example: The seal forms quick as a 0.4 s blockchain Merkle root hash.
Quick as a 25 µs LCD twisted nematic relax
Meaning: pixel grey-to-grey
Example: The frame shifts quick as a 25 µs LCD twisted nematic relax.
Quick as a 0.6 ms turntable tonearm lift
Meaning: 33 rpm stop
Example: The record ends quick as a 0.6 ms turntable tonearm lift.
Quick as a 15 ns Josephson junction switch
Meaning: cryogenic logic
Example: The qubit flips quick as a 15 ns Josephson junction switch.
Quick as a 0.9 s DNSSEC chain validation
Meaning: root-to-leaf check
Example: The site opens quick as a 0.9 s DNSSEC chain validation.
Quick as a 4 µs fuel injector solenoid lift
Meaning: 200 bar rail
Example: The spray fires quick as a 4 µs fuel injector solenoid lift.
Quick as a 0.3 ms DLP mirror tilt
Meaning: ±12° swing
Example: The pixel flips quick as a 0.3 ms DLP mirror tilt.
Quick as a 0.05 s COVID antigen strip wick
Meaning: 15 ng/ml threshold
Example: The line shows quick as a 0.05 s COVID antigen strip wick.
Quick as a 2 ms beryllium shutter x-ray open
Meaning: synchrotron slot
Example: The beam passes quick as a 2 ms beryllium shutter x-ray open.
QUIZ_START
Quiz: similes for Quick
1. Which simile means 320 km/h?
A. quick as a retinal saccade
B. quick as a peregrine stoop
C. quick as a 5 ns L1 cache hit
D. quick as a 0.3 s Gutenberg press ink transfer
Correct: B
2. “Quick as lithium-ion discharge” refers to a response in about
A. 0.04 s
B. 100 ms
C. 50 µs
D. 0.2 s
Correct: B
3. Capillary ascent moves water 1 cm in
A. 0.04 s
B. 1 ms
C. 50 ms
D. 0.4 s
Correct: A
4. A retinal saccade jumps in
A. 5 ns
B. 50 ms
C. 0.5 ms
D. 0.2 s
Correct: B
5. Which simile is linked to the year 1957?
A. Sputnik beep
B. Gutenberg press
C. Twitter origin tweet
D. Z1 relay
Correct: A
6. The 0.3 s ink transfer simile comes from
A. a COVID test strip
B. the Gutenberg press
C. a CRT screen
D. a GPS chip
Correct: B
7. “Quick as a 5 ns L1 cache hit” describes
A. CPU latency
B. HDD seek time
C. 5G handover
D. LCD pixel shift
Correct: A
8. An airbag squib fires in
A. 0.1 ms
B. 1 ms
C. 0.5 ms
D. 2 ms
Correct: A
9. Which simile uses a 40 kHz burst?
A. piezo inkjet droplet
B. ultrasonic transducer ping
C. PWM LED cycle
D. Josephson junction switch
Correct: B
10. Clarissa’s single-day stroll covers 224 pages in which novel?
A. 1984
B. Pride and Prejudice
C. Mrs Dalloway
D. The Great Gatsby
Correct: C
