unit 5: colors idioms/expressions

bridging the gap - my mom's gossip

red tape

official rules and processes that seem unnecessary and delay results:

We must cut through the red tape.

black look

an expression on your face that is full of anger and hate:

She gave me a black look.

white lie

​a small lie, especially one that you tell to avoid hurting somebody

• What's the harm in telling a little white lie?

blue blood

​the fact of being from a royal or noble family

green fingers

the ability to make plants grow

red herring

a fact, idea, or subject that takes people's attention away from the central point being considered:

The police investigated many clues, but they were all red herrings.

black sheep

a person who has done something bad that brings embarrassment or shame to his or her family:

He's the black sheep of the family.

white-collar

relating to people who work in offices, doing work that needs mental rather than physical effort:

white-collar workers/unions

blue-collar

​relating to people who do physical work in industry

• blue-collar workers/voters/votes

grey area

a situation that is not clear or where the rules are not known:

The difference between gross negligence and recklessness is a legal grey area.

out of the blue

if something happens out of the blue, it is completely unexpected:

One day, out of the blue, she announced that she was leaving.

once in a blue moon

not very often:

My sister lives in Alaska, so I only see her once in a blue moon.

as white as a sheet

If someone is (as) white as a sheet, their face is very pale, usually because of illness, shock, or fear.

white elephant

​a thing that has no use and is no longer needed, although it may have cost a lot of money

• The new office block has become an expensive white elephant.

in the black

earning more money than you spend:

This year our business is in the black.

in sb’s black books

If you are in someone's bad books or black books, they are angry with you:

He's in Melanie's bad books because he arrived two hours late.

see red

to become very angry:

People who don't finish a job really make me see red.

paint the town red

to go out and enjoy yourself by drinking alcohol, dancing, laughing with friends, etc.:

I'm ready to paint the town red with a few of my closest friends.

catch sb red-handed

to discover someone while they are doing something bad or illegal:

He was caught red-handed taking money from the till.

be green with envy

to be very unhappy because someone has something that you want:

Chad is heading off to Spain for the week, and I'm green with envy.

give the green light to sth

to give permission for someone to do something or for something to happen:

The council has given the green light to the new shopping centre.

off-color

[ after verb ] informal

slightly sick:

I'm feeling a little off-color today.

with flying colors

very well; with a very high mark

• She passed the exam with flying colors.

be like a red tag to a bull

to be certain to produce an angry or violent reaction:

Don't tell him you're a vegetarian - it's like a red rag to a bull.

browned off

annoyed:

I think she gets a bit browned off with him borrowing the car all the time.

roll out the red carpet

to welcome someone as a very important person or guest:

We'll roll out the red carpet for the senator.

to be very pleased about something, and encourage and support it:

All three cities rolled out the red carpet for the aerospace giant.

black is white

If someone says or believes black is white, they say or believe something that is completely untrue, especially because this is helpful to them:

Ministers still appear on TV telling viewers that black is white.

purple with rage

dark red in the face because of anger:

By this point, and purple with rage, all I could think of saying was, "I think we'll have to agree to disagree."

black and blue

with dark marks on your skin caused by being hit or having an accident:

His arm was black and blue.

black mark

the fact of people noticing and remembering something that you have done wrong or failed to do:

If I'm late for work again, it will be another black mark against me.

green

not experienced or trained:

I was very green when I started working there.

green belt

​an area of open land around a city where there are strict controls about building

• New roads are cutting into the green belt.

take sth in

to understand completely the meaning or importance of something:

I had to read the letter twice before I could take it all in.

bits and pieces

(informal) small objects or items of various kinds

• She stuffed all her bits and pieces into a bag and left.

• I just need to get a few bits and pieces at the supermarket.