English Idioms Relating to Colours
English Idioms Relating to Colours :
Idioms make any piece of writing much more interesting to read. Idioms are formed in various ways. Body parts are used for idioms, for instance, to be head and shoulders above the rest. Animals are used for idioms, for instance, it is raining cats and dogs. Planes are used in idioms, for instance, to clutch at straws and so on.
Let us now see how colours are used as idioms. Idiomatic expressions, as we have seen, lend colour to our writing!
English Idioms Related to Colours
black mood : To be in a black mood means to be irritable, angry or even depressed. Also, to be in a bad mood.
in the black : To say that a person or organisation is in the black means that they are financially sound, have a positive balance on their account and that they owe no money.
black and white : To say that something is in black and white means that there is written proof of it.
For example : It’s an obligation. It’s written in black and white in your contract.
black market : The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling of goods or currencies.
black sheep : The black sheep of the family is one who is very different from the others and least respected by the other members of the family.
black gold : Black gold refers to the black colour and high value of oil.
black tie event : This expression refers to a formal event at which men are required to wear a dinner jacket or tuxedo and a black bow tie.
For example : I need to know if it’s going to be a casual get-together or a black-tie event.
blue around the gills : If a person looks blue around the gills, he/she looks unwell or sick.
For example : You should sit down. You look a bit blue around the gills.
green around the gills : If a person looks gree around the gills, he/she looks unwell or sick.
pale around the gills : If a person looks pale around the gills, he/she looks unwell or sick.
blue-chip company : This term refers to a company with a solid reputation for the quality of its products and the stability of its growth and earnings.
For example : It’s usually safe to invest in a blue-chip company.
blue in the face : It you do something until you’re blue in the face, you try unsuccessfully to do something for a very long time.
For example : I explained the situation until I was blue in the face. But she wouldn’t change her mind.
blue-eyed boy : A blue-eyed boy is somebody’s favourite.
For example : He’s the director’s blue-eyed boy!
out of the blue : It something happens out of the blue, it happens unexpectedly.
brown as a berry : To say that someone is brown as a berry means that they are very tanned.
browned off : To be browned off means to be bored, fed up or disheartened.
For example : Tarun is browned off with his job.
see the colour of somebody’s money : If you want to see the colour of somebody’s money, you want to make sure that the person in question has enough money to pay you before you accept to do something.
For example : I want to see the colour of his money before shipping the goods.
English Idioms Relating to Colours
The Sentences Index
