Do Balrogs Have Wings?

[Morsul the Dark]

well that seems to be a 'politician answer' I stick t my "Frank" idea

Morsul the Dark Quote:
Originally Posted by JRR Tolkien
... and suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall ...


My question is then this why is it that text-wise non-wingers depend on this one word "Like"

for the record...you see someone far off let's say..Frank

You can use the similie to describe something unclear and once it is clear the simlie is now real instead of speculation

"That looks like Frank"
"Like two vast wings" speculation they look like wings but one can not be sure

then they come into view

"It is Frank"
"and its wings were spread from wall to wall" they are wings our speculation was right

[Kuruharan]

"That looks like Frank"

Oh, wait...it is not Frank. It is his hideous and foul-tempered wife Bertha who looks remarkably similar to Frank in this really bad light! Everybody run away!!