How do you use the phrase "as ... as can be"?

Question

I know you can say "happy as can be," but can you use any adjective before "as can be"?

Can I say "I was as American as can be"? or "He was as excited as can be"?

Answer 1

Many adjectives can precede "as can be". Some are used far more frequently than others, including "happy".

Here's a list of the top 20 adjectives that typically come before the expression:

RANK	CONTEXT	FREQ.
1	HAPPY	27
2	GOOD	11
3	CUTE	9
4	PLAIN	6
5	SIMPLE	6
6	CASUAL	4
7	CALM	4
8	CLEAR	4
9	COOL	4
10	FRIENDLY	4
11	HOT	4
12	PEACEFUL	4
13	HEALTHY	3
14	MODERN	3
15	FRESH	3
16	DIFFERENT	3
17	PRETTY	3
18	PROUD	3
19	REAL	3
20	SHARP	3

(Courtesy of CORPUS OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN ENGLISH)

Answer 2

You can only use the construction with classifying, absolute and extreme adjectives if you're being tongue-in-cheek or whimsical.

*/?'The bridge is as wooden as can be.'

*/?'The weapon is as nuclear as can be.'

*/?'The event is as annual as can be.'

*/?'He was as dead as could be.'

*/?'It is as microscopic as can be.'

But often non-gradable adjectives are treated as gradable with secondary senses:

as American / alive / full as can be.

Answer 3

Omission of the earlier occurrence of 'as ' in the structure as +adjective +as will lose nothing but give a colour to the language .Let me proceed with the discussion with an example , 'hey guys , your dance is dull as can be , move on further to give it some welly.'