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I have wondered if dropping the first as is permissible and grammatical while using comparison:

Ian Bell was organised and elegant as ever, prospering with several uppercuts over the slips.

I believe as organized and elegant as ever is correct, but is the above formulation also acceptable?

tchrist
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Kedar Mhaswade
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    It's not quite the same, though. Unlike in as cool as a cucumber. In the instant case, as can simply mean 'like': Ian Bell was organised and elegant like he always is ... On the other hand, the as in as cool as cucumber is also sometimes omitted. – Kris Dec 16 '13 at 14:05
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    In some circumstances, it often is: Quick as a flash, he ate the daffodil. Mad as a hatter! – Edwin Ashworth Dec 16 '13 at 14:55
  • There's more than one way to swing a dead cat: Ever organized and elegant, Ian Bell prospered with several uppercuts over the slips. (What "uppercuts over the slips" means, I do not know, nor will I expend any energy in finding out!) – rhetorician Dec 16 '13 at 18:26

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Yes, in most cases, notably when the "as" used interchangeably with "like" in a simile.

For example:

"He is as spry as a mouse."

"He is spry as a mouse."

"He is spry like a mouse."

I would use the first "as" if possible, because it lends a clearer meaning to the sentence. Also, the longer the the first part is, the more it makes sense as you speak it.

Ian
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