The trouble with similes is like....

I have a good heart and the purest of motives, neither of which is very much appreciated by certain newsroom colleagues of mine. I appreciate the bonhomie of the newsroom and seek to contribute to it, even if I have to eavesdrop and interrupt to do so.
So it was that I happened to overhear someone compliment a fellow reporter on her stylish jacket.
"Yes'' I said. "It looks like a potholder.''
This was met with silence of death, and taken as an insult. The potholder-wearing woman would not speak to me for hours, even when I explained that my comment was not a criticism but an observation.
"Actually,'' I said, "your jacket reminds me of a very fancy potholder, the kind that never gets used to handle hot stuff, but remains hanging in the kitchen forever.''
This did not help matters......