필리핀어학연수 유학기업 필자닷컴

English idioms relating to "COLOURS"

이름 : jilo
작성일 : 2011-08-18
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English idioms relating to COLOURS
Black mood	To be in a black mood means to be irritable, angry or even depressed. Also : to be in a bad mood.
In the black	To say that a person or organization is in the black means that they are financially sound, have a positive balance on their account and that they owe no money.
Black and white	To say that something is in black and white means that there is written proof of it. "It's an obligation. It's written in black and white in your contract."
Black market	The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling of goods or currencies.
Black sheep	The black sheep of the family is one who is very different from the others, and least respected by the other members of the family.
Black gold	Black gold refers to the black colour and high value of oil.
Black tie event	This expression refers to a formal event at which men are required to wear a dinner jacket, or tuxedo, and a black bow tie. "I need to know if it's going to be a casual get-together or a black tie event."
Blue around the gills (also green or pale around the gills)	If a person looks blue around the gills, they look unwell or sick. "You should sit down. You look a bit blue around the gills."
Blue chip company	This term refers to a company with a solid reputation for the quality of its products and the stability of its growth and earnings. "It's usually safe to invest in a blue-chip company.
Blue in the face	If you do something until you're blue in the face, you try unsuccessfully to do something for a very long time. "I explained the situation until I was blue in the face but she wouldn't change her mind."
Scream blue murder	Someone who screams blue murder shouts or complains very loudly as if something very serious has happened. "The crowd started screaming blue murder when the football match was interrupted."
Blue-eyed boy	A blue-eyed boy is somebody's favourite. "He's the director's blue-eyed boy!
Out of the blue	If something happens out of the blue, it happens unexpectedly. "I had nearly given up hope when out of the blue I was offered a job."
Brown as a berry	To say that someone is brown as a berry means that they are very tanned.
Browned off	To be browned off means to be bored, fed up or disheartened. e.g. Tom is browned off with his job.
See the colour of somebody's money	If you want to see the colour of somebody's money, you want to make sure that the person in question has enough money to pay you before you accept to do something. "I want to see the colour of his money before shipping the goods."
Show one's true colours	When a person shows their true colours, their behaviour reveals their real nature and shows their qualities and/or weaknesses. "In times of crisis people show their true colours."
Golden handcuffs	The term golden handcuffs refers to a large sum of money or a generous financial arrangement granted to an executive as an incentive to stay in their job, or to ensure long-term cooperation after their departure.
Golden handshake	A golden handshake is a generous sum of money given to a person when they leave a company or retire (sometimes given to encourage early retirement).
Golden opportunity	A golden opportunity is a favourable time or excellent occasion which should not be missed.
Golden parachute	A golden parachute is a clause in an executive's employment contract stating that the executive will receive certain large benefits if their employment is terminated.
Golden rule	The most important rule or principle to be remembered when doing something is called the golden rule. "When travelling abroad, the golden rule is to respect the local customs."
Green fingers	To have green fingers means to be good at gardening.
Green light	If you give or get the green light, you give or get a signal or permission to do something. "We're ready to launch the campaign as soon as we get the green light."
Green with envy	Someone who is green with envy is a person who is very envious.
Grey area	To refer to something as a grey area means that it is not clear or easy to define, and is therefore difficult to deal with. "The law concerning email is still a grey area in some countries."
Grey matter (US : gray)	Grey matter refers to the brain, or the grey colour of brain tissue.
Grey existence	To have a grey existence is to lead a dull, monotonous life.
Pink elephants	This term refers to hallucinations or strange imaginary things seen by people as a result of heavy drinking or the use of narcotics. "No more drinks for me please, otherwise I'll be seeing pink elephants!"
In the pink of health	If you are in the pink of health, you are in excellent physical condition or extremely healthy. "Caroline looked in the pink of health after her holiday."
Tickled pink	To say that someone is tickled pink means that they are extremely amused or pleased.
Red-handed	If a person is caught red-handed, they are caught while they are doing something wrong or illegal. "The boy was caught red-handed stealing chocolate in the supermarket."
Red herring	A red herring refers to a fact or argument introduced into a discussion which draws attention away from the main point. "Look, bureaucracy is a red herring. How to deal with the oil crisis is the important issue today."
Red light district	This term refers to an area of a town or city where there is a concentration of sex shops, prostitution, strip clubs, etc. "A photograph of the politician taken in a red-light district caused a scandal."
Red tape	The term red tape refers to official rules and bureaucratic paperwork that prevent things from being done quickly. "If there wasn't so much red tape, the company would be up and running already."
Be in the red	If a person or organization is in the red, they owe money or have a negative account. "I'm afraid I can't lend you any money. I'm in the red myself."
Like a red flag to a bull	To say that a statement or action is like a red flag to a bull means that it is sure to make someone very angry or upset. "Don't mention Tom's promotion to Mike. It would be like a red flag to a bull!"
Paint the town red	If you paint the town red, you go out and enjoy a lively evening in bars, night-clubs, etc. "To celebrate the victory, the team's supporters painted the town red."
Roll out the red carpet	To roll out the red carpet means to give special treatment to an important or honoured visitor. "The management is going to roll out the red carpet for the visit of the Nobel prize winner."
See red	If someone sees red, they suddenly become very angry or annoyed about something. "Discrimination of any kind makes me see red!"
Silver lining	A silver lining refers to the good or pleasant side-effects of an unpleasant situation. Every cloud has a silver lining is a proverb which means that there is a positive or hopeful side to every unpleasant situation.
Silver spoon	To say that someone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth means that their family is very rich and privileged.
White Christmas	A white Christmas is when it snows at Christmas and the ground is white. "We haven't had a white Christmas in twenty years."
White as a ghost/white as a sheet	A person who is as white as ghost looks very pale and frightened.