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Idioms are a very difficult layer of vocabulary to learn, especially if this vocabulary is in a foreign language. However, this routine can be turned into pleasure. Today, our source of pleasure is “colored” set expressions.
Table. English color idioms
BLACK |
RED |
WHITE |
As black as coal - black as night
|
As red as cherry - deep red
As red as a poppy - deep red
|
As white as a ghost - as
white as a sheet As white as a sheet - as white as a sheet |
Black and blue - bruised |
To catch someone red-handed - catch someone red-handed | To raise a white flag - give up, throw a white flag |
Black and white - one-sided, uncompromising |
In the red - in debt, unprofitable | White elephant - an unnecessary acquisition |
Black eye - a bruise under the eye |
Out of the red - paid off debts | To whitewash something - cover / hide something |
Blackout - turning off the light |
To paint the town red - have fun, revel |
GREEN |
Black sheep - black sheep |
Red-carpet treatment – top-level reception |
To give someone the green light - give the green light, give permission to someone |
To blackmail - blackmail |
Red in the face - confused |
Green around the gills - sick, green with pain |
To blacklist - blacklist |
Red-letter day - red day of the calendar |
Green-eyed monster - envy, jealousy |
In the black - successful, profitable |
To see red - rage |
Greenhorn is a naive person |
PINK |
YELLOW |
blue |
In the pink (of condition) - healthy as a bull |
To have a yellow streak |
Blue in the face - furious, heated |
Pink slip - notice of dismissal |
Yellow-bellied - cowardly |
Blue-ribbon - exceptional, the best |
To see pink elephants - hallucinate |
GRAY
|
To get the blues - get upset |
Tickled pink - flattered, satisfied |
To get gray hair - turn gray with excitement |
Out of the blue - unexpectedly |
Gray area - a dark spot on the map, an undiscussed issue |
To talk a blue streak - chatter | |
Gray matter - the gray matter of the brain |