Idioms: colors
Learn English idioms that use colors as a metaphor, from "a red flag" to "show your true colors".
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Flashcards
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Listen to the word and type it. Great for practicing spelling and pronunciation.
Match
Match the words against the clock. A fun, low-pressure way to review.
Terms in this deck
- a white liea small, harmless lie
- a grey areaa situation that isn't clearly right or wrong
- give someone the green lightto give permission to proceed
- a red flaga warning sign
- wave the white flagto surrender or admit defeat
- the black marketillegal trade in goods or currency
- a golden opportunityan excellent chance to do something
- see the world through rose-tinted glassesto see things more positively than they really are
- a white elephanta possession that's expensive to maintain but not useful
- paint the town redto go out and have a wild, fun time
- show your true colorsto reveal your real character, often in a negative way
- with flying colorswith great success
- a black marka negative mark against someone's reputation
- golden yearsthe later years of life, especially after retirement
- whitewashto hide or minimize something bad, especially officially
- green thumba natural talent for gardening
- grey matterintelligence, brains
- golden rulethe most important rule to follow
- black and whiteclearly defined, with no ambiguity
- code reda state of maximum alert or crisis
- true bluecompletely loyal and genuine
- roll out the red carpetto give someone a very special welcome
- feeling blueto feel sad
- a red herringsomething misleading, a distraction from the real issue
- blackballto deliberately exclude someone from a group
- a blue-collar joba job involving manual or physical labor
- white-collarrelating to office or professional work
- a black eyedamage to someone's reputation
- red-hotextremely popular or in high demand
- code bluean alert for a medical emergency
- a golden handshakea generous payment given to someone leaving a job
How to study this deck
Colors form many idioms with symbolic meanings: "a red flag" is a warning sign and "a white lie" is a harmless lie. Some match Spanish and others differ, so learn each complete expression. Practice linking each color with its idea: green with permission, red with danger, white with surrender or innocence.
The trickiest words
- a white lie: it is a harmless lie told to be polite.
- a red flag: it is a warning sign about a possible problem.
- give the green light: it means to give permission for a project or plan to proceed.
Examples in context
She told a white lie to avoid hurting his feelings.
His behavior raised a red flag.
She sees the world through rose-tinted glasses.
She passed the exam with flying colors.
She has a green thumb.
It's a code red situation in the office today.
The suspect was a red herring.
The scandal gave the company a black eye.
Mini dialogue
- A: The boss gave us the green light.
- B: Great! But there is a red flag: the budget is small.
- A: I told a white lie about the gift.
- B: Don't see the world through rose-tinted glasses.