A more specific variation: “Regular as the chug-chug of a motor boat.”
In Hempel’s story, Beg, si tog, Inc, Cont, Rep, it’s the sliding knitting needles that are likened to water.
The descriptive frame of reference is a tree.
Noun | 1. | regularity - a property of polygons: the property of having equal sides and equal angles symmetricalness, symmetry, correspondence, balance - (mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane |
2. | regularity - the quality of being characterized by a fixed principle or rate; "he was famous for the regularity of his habits" quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare cyclicity, periodicity - the quality of recurring at regular intervals methodicalness, orderliness - the quality of appreciating method and system uniformity - a condition in which everything is regular and unvarying invariability, evenness - a quality of uniformity and lack of variation even spacing - regularity of spacing steadiness - the quality of being steady--regular and unvarying unregularity, irregularity - not characterized by a fixed principle or rate; at irregular intervals |