Color-related Idioms
- black
- black and blue - 1. bruised [from appearance]1
- black and white - 1. clearly distinct or different [as in "as different as black and white"] 2. obvious and clear, as in print [as in "there it is, in black and white"]1
- black humor2
- black market2
- black out2 - 1. to lose consciousness1
- black sheep - 1. outcast, esp. of a family [as a single black sheep among a family of white sheep]1
- black tie - 1. formal [from appropriate dress]1
- blackball2
- blacklist2
- blackout - 1. loss of electricity4
- blackmail2 - 1. to use detrimental information as leverage in controlling the actions (often extorting payment) of others1
- in the black2
- the pot calling the kettle black - 1. a worse offender [citing the guilt of] a lesser offender4
- blue
- blue - sad3
- blue blood2 - 1. royal, regal1
- blue funk2 - 1. very depressed [as in "she was in a blue funk"]4
- blue law2
- blue Monday2
- blue movies - 1. movies with explicit sex3
- blue print2
- blue ribbon2 - 1. first rate [from the customary award given for first place]1
- blue stocking2
- blue streak2
- blue-collar workers - 1. laborers3
- blue-pencil2
- once in a blue moon2
- out of the blue2
- sing the blues; have the blues2
- true blue2
- brown
- brown out - 1. partial loss of electricity1
- brown nose - 1. slightly vulgar, refers to flattering someone in a position of power in order to obtain favors4
- in a brown study - 1. seriously contemplating something4
- gray
- gray area - 1. a context or section, as of a law, which is easily disputable; a "murky area"7
- gray matter - 1. brain (the organ) 2. intelligence1
- green
- chiste verde ("green joke") - 1. In Spanish, a dirty joke3
- green around the gills2
- green light2
- green with envy2
- having a green thumb - 1. able to make plants grow well4
- Things are starting to green up around here - 1. Spring has arrived [the color of new vegetation that comes with spring]4
- pink
- in the pink2
- pink lady - 1. an alcoholic drink4
- pink slip2
- pink-collar workers - 1. office workers, esp. women3
- pinkies - 1. the little fingers4
- tickled pink2
- purple
- born to the purple2
- purple passion2
- purple prose2
- red
- in the red2
- one red cent2
- red eye2
- red flag2
- red herring - 1. a topic thrown into a discussion in order to mislead4
- red hot - 1. exciting4
- red hots - 1. small spicy candies4
- red meat - 1. beef4
- red neck2
- red tape - 1. bureaucratic seemingly time-wasting paperwork.6
- red-faced - 1. embarrassed3
- red-handed - 1. in the middle of the act1
- red-letter day2
- roll out the red carpet2
- to see red2
- rose
- rose-colored glasses2
- rosy2
- white
- white as a sheet - 1. pale, frightened4
- white elephant2
- white flag2
- white heat2
- white lie2
- white paper2
- white tie2
- white-collar workers - 1. management3
- whitewash2
- yellow
- yellow - cowardly4
- yellow journalism2
- "Yellow Peril" - 1. the (quite exaggerated) fear of the large population of China and its population growth rate.5
- yellow-dog2
- to have a yellow streak down one's back - 1. cowardly3
1 From ojo's memory.
2 From an email from [email protected] quoting English in Color, a 1991 pamphlet by Dean Curry, USIA.
3 From an email from Dr. Patricia M. Seaver, [email protected]
4 From an email from Carolyn Dean, [email protected].
5 From an email from Patrick Crockford, [email protected]
6 From an email from Sofia Mooney, [email protected]
7 From an email from Joy & John, aka The Smudgekins, [email protected]
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