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English Idioms

Idioms and Sayings about Colour


Idiom/Saying Explanation

To black out.

For example:-

"She blacked out this morning, so I told her to go to the doctors."

To lose consciousness.

To black out a memory.

For example:-

"I've completely blacked out what happened before and after the crash, I just don't want to remember."

To forget something completely.

To be in the black.

For example:-

"It was so nice to be in the black at the end of the month. My new budget is obviously working."

To be clear of debt.

To be black and blue.

For example:-

"She was black and blue after the accident."

To be badly bruised.

To give someone a black look.

For example:-

"I always knew when my mother was annoyed with me, she would give me such a black look."

To look at someone in a disapproving way.

To look as black as thunder.

For example:-

"When I told them I was leaving, they looked as black as thunder."

To look really angry.

To be black and white.

For example:-

"It was easy to decide, everything was black and white."

A very clear choice that causes no confusion.

Black and white thinking.

For example:-

"Some people think people are good or bad, but not everything is so black and white."

To have a simplistic and certain opinion about things.

The pot calling the kettle black.

For example:-

"When politicians say that bankers have been lying, it's like the pot calling the kettle black."

To accuse someone of being a hypocrite.

To blacken someone's name.

For example:-

"This scandal will really blacken his name, whether or not he's guilty."

To sully or defame someone.

To feel (be) blue.

For example:-

"She's a bit blue at the moment, she got her exam results."

To feel unhappy or depressed.

To be black and blue.

For example:-

"She was black and blue after the accident."

To be badly bruised.

To come out of the blue.

For example:-

"Her decision to travel round the world came out of the blue."

If something comes out of the blue it's a big surprise.

To scream blue murder.

For example:-

"They screamed blue murder when I told them there'd be a test."

To protest loudly.

Flying colours.

For example:-

"All his hard work paid off, he passed the exam with flying colours."

Conspicuous success.

To be off colour.

For example:-

"I decided not to go shopping because I felt a bit off colour."

To feel ill.

To be green around the gills.

For example:-

"When I offered Xeb a Marmite sandwich, she went green around the gills."

To look ill.

To be green with envy.

For example:-

"They've got a brand new 52" TV. I'm so green!"

To be jealous or envious of someone.

To be green ¹

For example:-

"Don't leave him unsupervised, he's a bit green."

To be inexperienced.

To be green ²

For example:-

"They have solar panels and a rainwater system, they're very green."

To live in a way that helps the environment.

To get / give the green light.

For example:-

"The project got the green light, so we start next week"

To give someone permission to do something.

To buy a lemon.

For example:-

"All those people who bought a new Toyota have bought a lemon."

To buy something useless or defective.

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.
Red sky in morning, shepherd's warning.

If the sky is red in the evening, at sunset, the weather should be nice the next day.
If the sky is red in the morning, at sunrise, the weather will be bad.

(Shepherd's look after sheep, so they prefer nice weather.)

Red tape.

For example:-

"I'd like to set up my own business, but there's too much red tape!"

Excessive regulation (especially form filling) that is considered overly bureaucratic.

To be a red.

For example:-

"They're always seeing reds under the beds. I don't know what they're so afraid of."

To be a communist.

To caught red handed.

For example:-

"They tried a bit of shoplifting, but they were caught red handed by the security guard."

To be caught doing something wrong.

To be in the red.

For example:-

"I'm always in the red before the end of the month. I need to budget more carefully."

To be in debt.

To see red.

For example:-

"When they told me they'd broken the window, I saw red."

To be very angry.

A scarlet woman

For example:-

"She was labelled a scarlet woman when she became pregnant."

A woman who is notorious because people believe she has too many men in her life.

To wave (raise / carry) a white flag.

For example:-

"I think it's time to wave the white flag and declare bankruptcy."

To surrender or give up.

To be black and white.

For example:-

"It was easy to decide, everything was black and white."

A very clear choice that causes no confusion.

Black and white thinking.

For example:-

"Some people think people are good or bad, but not everything is so black and white."

To have a simplistic and certain opinion about things.

To be whiter than white.

For example:-

"I can't believe he's guilty, he always seemed to be whiter than white."

Someone who never does anything wrong.

To look as white as a sheet.

For example:-

"She turned as white as a sheet and then she fainted."

To look very pale and shocked.

To be yellow.

For example:-

"They called him yellow, just because he wouldn't fight."

To be cowardly.
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English Idioms