[aston]

Your post is one of only two uses on the web of the phrase "situational simile." However, it actually seems like a useful term. Did you make it up, or are you just one of the few cool kids to use it on the interwebs?

[DocSavage]

"Situational metaphor" is widely used. In this case, because I'm emphasizing an explicit, limited comparison, I used "simile."