Colour Idioms in English

Colour Idioms in English

Once in a blue moon

• I see my cousins who live abroad once in a blue moon.
• He cooks dinner once in a blue moon, usually when guests come over.

True blue

• You can trust Emma completely — she’s true blue.
• Despite all the pressure, he remained true blue to his principles.

A yellow streak

• He talks bravely, but there’s a yellow streak in him when things get risky.
• She backed out at the last minute, revealing a yellow streak.

Green around the gills

• You look green around the gills — maybe you should lie down.
• He went green around the gills during the boat trip.

To have a green thumb

• My grandmother has a green thumb; her garden is always full of flowers.
• Even houseplants survive in her flat — she really has a green thumb.

White elephant

• The empty stadium turned out to be a white elephant for the city.
• That luxury car became a white elephant once repair costs piled up.

In black and white

• The company policy is stated in black and white in the handbook.
• If it’s not in black and white, I won’t sign anything

To paint the town red

• After the exams, the students painted the town red.
• They decided to paint the town red to celebrate their engagement.

In the red

• The business was in the red for months before it recovered.
• I can’t afford a holiday — my account is still in the red.

To see red

• He saw red when he realised he’d been lied to.
• She completely saw red after reading the rude email.

Out of the blue

• She called me out of the blue after years of silence.
• Out of the blue, the company announced massive changes.

Black sheep

• He’s considered the black sheep of the family.
• Every family seems to have a black sheep.

Caught red-handed

• He was caught red-handed cheating in the exam.
• The thief was caught red-handed leaving the shop.

Grey area

• The rules are a bit of a grey area here.
• Tax law often contains grey areas.

Green with envy

• She was green with envy when she saw his new car.
• His promotion left several colleagues green with envy.

White lie

• I told a white lie to avoid hurting her feelings.
• Sometimes a white lie feels kinder than the truth.

Blue-blooded

• The castle once belonged to a blue-blooded family.
• He comes from a blue-blooded background.

Golden opportunity

• This job offer is a golden opportunity for her career.
• Don’t miss such a golden opportunity.

Pink slip

• He received a pink slip during the company downsizing.
• Many workers feared getting a pink slip before Christmas.

Black and blue

• He was black and blue after the rugby match.
• She fell down the stairs and ended up black and blue.

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