Idioms and phrases in English with colors
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IDIOMS AND PHRASES | MEANINGS |
A blue-eyed boy | A critical description of a boy or young man who is always chosen for special favours by someone in a position of superior authority. |
A bolt from the blue | When unexpected bad news is received |
A golden handshake | A significant amount of money that is paid to a retiring manager or administrator, or to a laid-off worker. |
A golden opportunity | An opportunity that may never come up again. |
A grey area | Something that is not clearly defined, and there is still a debate about whether it is “black or white” in one way or another. |
A highly coloured report | Refers to a report that is exaggerated or has a biased opinion. |
A red flag | A signal indicating that something is not working properly or is not working properly |
A white lie | A “small” lie or a “harmless” lie told in order to be polite and avoid hurting someone’s feelings, or doing something that is not seriously wrong. |
A yellow streak | Someone who has cowardice in his character |
As white as a sheet | When someone is in a state of great fear or anxiety |
Beet red | Also used to describe dark red, usually the colour of a face (beet derivative). |
Black and blue | Used to describe something that is seriously wounded |
Black as a skillet | Used to describe something very dirty, black with dirt. |
Black as night | In a very dark place, when it is difficult to see anything. |
Black eye | A bruise near the eye |
Black market | A term used to refer to places where goods are purchased and sold illegally for profit. |
Black out | This means either obscuring by turning off or obscuring the lights or losing consciousness. |
Black sheep | Used to describe a person who is the “weird person” in a group, and who does not integrate with others around her. It could also be used to talk about a person who is a shame or embarrassment to his or her group. |
Black tie event/affair | A formal event where male guests wear black bow ties with tuxedos or evening jackets. |
Blackball someone | Exclude or ostracize someone socially, reject them. |
Blacklist someone | Put someone’s name on a list if they break rules and prohibit them from participating again. |
Blackmail someone | Extorting or taking money from someone by using their secrets against them and threatening to reveal them to others. |
Blood red | Used to describe the dark red color of something |
Blue blood | Used to describe someone from a noble, aristocratic or rich family. |
Blue collar | Used to describe men used as workers or factory workers. |
Blue in the face | Try very hard to win someone’s agreement, but usually without success. |
Blue pencil | To censor something, or limit the information that is shared |
Blue ribbon | To be of superior quality or distinction, the best of a group |
Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth | born into a rich family |
Browned off | Being bored or bored with someone or something |
Catch someone red-handed | Catching someone committing a crime or doing something wrong that they shouldn’t be doing. |
Chase rainbows | When someone tries to get or achieve something that is difficult or impossible |
Dyed-in-the-wool | Used to describe someone or something that is permanent (such as wool that is dyed a certain color). |
Feel blue | When a person seems or feels depressed or dissatisfied |
Golden boy | Term given to a young man idolized for great skill, usually in sport. |
Grass is always greener on the other side | Used to describe a distant place, and better than, where you are now, or the situation of another person who is very different from yours. |
Green belt | An area of fields and trees around a city |
Green thumb/green finger | Used to describe someone with a talent for gardening, with the ability to grow plants. |
Green with envy | Used to describe someone who is extremely jealous, full of envy |
In someone’s black books | To be in disgrace or disgrace with someone. |
In the black | Meaning successful or profitable |
Local colour | Allows to describe the traditional characteristics of a place that give it its own character. |
Men/boys in blue | Used to describe the police, because of the color of their uniforms. |
Off colour | When someone is not feeling at his best, is very sick or uncomfortable |
Once in a blue moon | Occur extremely rarely, or only once in a lifetime. |
Out of the blue | Appearing out of nowhere without any warning, occurring suddenly or randomly by surprise |
Paint the town red | To go out and have a good time at a party. |
Pitch black | Another term for somewhere that is very dark, and you are unable to see anything. |
Pot calling the kettle black (shorten version: pot kettle black) | It is used when the person who hypocritically criticizes or accuses someone else is as guilty as the person he or she is criticizing or accusing. |
Put something down in black and white | Write or have written something on paper for confirmation or proof. |
Raise a white flag | This indicates that we have accepted the defeat and surrendered to the other party. |
Red herring | An unimportant subject that misleads everyone and distracts attention from the main subject. |
Red hot | Something new and exciting, creating a lot of demand |
Red in the face | Become embarrassed |
Red tape | A term used to refer to bureaucratic delays, excessive formalities and attention to rules and regulations, which often result in injustice to the ordinary citizen. |
Red-carpet treatment | (Similar to the one above) To receive special or royal treatment, and to be received with a great and warm welcome. |
Red-eye | A trip that leaves late at night and arrives early in the morning. |
Red-letter day | A memorable day due to an important event |
Roll out the red carpet | Welcome a person with great respect and give them a warm and welcoming welcome. |
Sail under false colours | Pretend to be something you’re not |
See someone’s true colours | Understand a person’s real character, often for the first time. |
See the colour of someone’s money | To prove that someone has enough money for something |
Talk a blue streak | When someone talks a lot and very quickly |
The silver screen | A term for cinema |
To be colourless | Used to describe someone who lacks personality, and who is really boring |
To be given something on a silver plate/platter | When something is offered to someone with all my heart (in a metaphorical sense) |
To be green | Used to describe someone who is immature or inexperienced. |
To be in the red | To have an overdraft, be in debt to your bank or owe money to a financial institution |
To be kept in the dark | Keeping someone’s secret, protecting the truth |
To be out of the red | To be free from debt |
To be shown the red card | This stems from football terminology, and means being fired from your work. |
To give/lend colour to | To help make a story or explanation more credible and easier to believe, or to accompany something |
To look through rose-coloured/tinted spectacles/glasses | When someone sees things in a way that is too flattering or optimistic. |
To paint in bright/dark colours | Describe something flattering (bright) or unflattering (dark) |
To see red | Reacting with uncontrollable rage against someone or something |
To see the red light | Recognize the approaching danger. The red light is referred to as |
To show one’s true colours | Reveal your true nature |
White as a ghost | someone who is very pale because of pain, fear, shock or disease. |
White collar | A term used to refer to office workers who traditionally wear a white white-collar shirt. |
White elephant | A term used to describe unnecessary possession, something that is useless. |
Whitewash something | To conceal or conceal wrongdoing or wrongdoing |
With flying colours | Complete something with a lot of distinction and excellent results. |
Yellow-bellied | Someone who is considered a coward or extremely shy |
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