Everything In It But Hammer and Nails (Metaphor)
In the opening line of the story, the narrator describes Mrs. Jones's purse as being so large that it holds "everything in it but hammer and nails." In this metaphorical figure of speech, the purse does not literally contain everything, but it is large enough that one could imagine it contains many objects.
Shook Him Until His Teeth Rattled (Metaphor)
After Roger falls on his backside, Mrs. Jones lifts him by the front of his shirt and shakes him "until his teeth rattled." In this metaphor, Hughes emphasizes the force of her shaking with a cartoonish, exaggerated description that describes the boy's teeth making a rattling sound.
Shoes Come By Devilish Will Burn Your Feet (Metaphor)
After giving Roger ten dollars to buy himself a pair of blue suede shoes, Mrs. Jones tells him not try to rob anybody else. She warns that "shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet." In this metaphor, Mrs. Jones suggests shoes that Roger would get after having done something immoral—or sinful—would drag on his conscience. To illustrate her point, she compares the guilt and remorse he would experience as he contemplated his sins to the feeling of his shoes burning his feet.
