What is a literal sentence like two ships that pass in the night?

It's difficult to give a *literal* sentence like "two ships that pass in the night" because the phrase is inherently figurative. It's a metaphor describing a brief, fleeting encounter between two people.

However, we can get close to a literal interpretation:

"Two ships sailed past each other in the darkness of night."

This sentence directly describes the physical action of two ships passing, emphasizing the absence of light. It lacks the metaphorical meaning of a missed connection or fleeting encounter.

Let me know if you have any other phrases or idioms you'd like to explore in a literal sense!