Hello,

As I promised you last week, we are going to see some more colour idioms: white, black and brown idioms.

The colour white is considered perfect, as it symbolizes purity, openness, truth, innocence, youth, humility, kindness and positivity.

colourMaybe that is the reason why a small or a harmless lie told in order to be polite or to avoid hurting somebody’s feelings is called a white lie. People who work in an office, doing mental rather than physical work are called white-collar workers.

Black denotes mystery, authority, elegance and wealth. Therefore we can say that a person or a business is in the black, meaning they have money in the bank and are not in debt. But if you owe money to the bank, you are in the red (also to go/ fall into the red).

We can attend a black-tie event/ affair, which is a very formal social occasion where men wear black bow ties.

But black is also related to darkness and limits, so it can have an unfriendly or reserved vibe. If you are the black sheep (of the family) it means you have done something bad that brings shame and that’s why you are a disgrace to your family or to a group. (e.g. She is the black sheep of her family because she didn’t get into law school.) And when someone is rejected or excluded socially, that person is blackballed or blacklisted.

Brown defines simplicity, reliability, maturity, warmth, comfort and friendliness. This colour also denotes negative qualities such as being boring and lacking humour.

Hence the phrase to be browned off which means to be bored, disappointed or annoyed at something.

Here are other interesting idioms, not necessarily related to the meaning of the colours.

The pot calling the kettle black! – this expression means that someone who criticizes someone else is as guilty as the person they criticize.

When you receive royal and special treatment you get or you are given the red-carpet treatment. (e.g. They expect to get the red-carpet treatment whenever they visit us.)

When someone was born into a rich family we can say the person was born with a silver spoon in his/ her mouth.

We all want what we don’t have so we say that grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence).

In business it’s better to see the colour of somebody’s money, which means that you should make sure the person has enough money to pay you before you accept the deal.

We are sometimes disappointed when our friends show their true colours, that is they reveal their true qualities and/or flaws.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article. Till next time here’s an exercise for you.

Complete each sentence with a colour, in an appropriate form of the word.

a)      When Bill saw my new car he was ………………………… with envy.

b)       Tina never comes here now. We only see her once in a ………………………… moon.

c)       When the visitors from Japan arrived, the company gave them the …………………………-carpet treatment.

d)      I’m fed-up with this job. I feel completely ………………………… off.

e)      Julie’s letter was unexpected. It arrived completely out of the ………………………… .

f)       The …………………………-collar workers received a rise, but the workers on the shop floor were told they had to wait.

g)      We decided to celebrate by going out and painting the town ………………………… .

h)      Tony can’t be trusted yet with too much responsibility, he’s still ………………………… .

i)        You can talk until you’re ………………………… in the face, but he still won’t listen.

j)        They fell deeper and deeper into the ………………………… and then went bankrupt.

(Source of the exercise: Advanced Language Practice with key. MACMILLAN, Michael Vince with Peter Sunderland)

Sursa foto aici.

Autor:

Cecilia Stănia – Trainer intern A_BEST Limba Engleză

Cecilia Stănia este absolventă a Facultăţii de Limbi şi Literaturi Străine Dimitrie Cantemir, specializarea Studii Limba şi literatura Engleză– Limba şi Literatura Germană, promoţia 2010.

Cecilia a fost mereu interesată să-şi îmbunătăţească cunoştinţele de limba engleză, de aceea ea a urmat modulul Psihopedagogic Nivelul I.

În calitate de trainer A_BEST, Cecilia predă engleza – limbaj general şi business – în mediul corporate.