thick as herrings—said of a great number of people, especially when crammed in a small area (also: thick as hops):
- Our position was in the center, on which the natives most politely avoided any sort of crowding, although behind they were packed as thick as herrings.
Note:
a) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase thick as thieves—(also: thick as peas in a shell) used of people who are intimate or very friendly (often showing disapproval):
- Right from the start it was obvious they were as “thick as thieves,” one always keeping an eye on the other.
b) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase thick as hail—(of darts, bullets, etc.) following each other in quick succession:
- The English archers poured upon them their deadly arrows in flights thick as hail.
c) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase thick as two short planks—(also: thick as a plank) very stupid:
- Some of our greatest and richest superstars have been as thick as two short planks.
thin as a herring—used of a very thin person:
- He was a very small, dapper man, as thin as a herring, with projecting teeth and a huge drooping many-curled wig…