Explore a fun alphabetical list of common English expressions and idioms that use colors, such as 'feeling blue,' 'seeing red,' and 'green with envy.'
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B
Black and blue: Bruised or injured.
Black and white: Something that is very clear or easily understood.
Black market: Illegal or underground trade.
Black sheep: A family member who is considered a troublemaker or outcast.
Black tie: A formal dress code for events.
Blacklist: A list of people or things to be avoided/excluded.
Blackout: A loss of electricity, or a loss of consciousness.
Blue blood: Referring to aristocracy or nobility.
Blue book: A booklet containing information.
Blue chip: A high-quality and reliable investment.
Blue in the face: To be extremely angry or frustrated.
Blue state/red state: Political terms referring to states with different political affiliations.
Blue-collar worker: A manual laborer or industrial worker.
Blue-sky thinking: Creative and unconventional thinking.
C
Caught red-handed: Caught in the act of doing something wrong.
F
Feeling blue: Feeling sad.
G
The grass is greener on the other side: The belief that things are better elsewhere.
Gray area: A situation or topic that is unclear or not easily categorized.
Green energy: Renewable and environmentally friendly sources of energy.
Green thumb: Having a natural talent for gardening.
Green with envy: Extremely jealous.
Green-eyed monster: Jealousy.
Greenback: A U.S. dollar bill.
Greenhorn: An inexperienced or naive person.
Greenwash: False or exaggerated claims of environmental responsibility by a company.
I
In the black: Having a positive financial balance or profit.
In the pink: In good health.
In the red: To be in debt or experiencing financial loss.
N
Nothing but blue skies: Feeling very optimistic.
O
Once in a blue moon: A rare event.
Out of the blue: Unexpectedly and without warning.
P
Paint the town red: To go out and have a wild and exciting time.
Pink slip: A notice of termination from employment.
Pink-collar worker: Relating to jobs traditionally associated with women.
R
Red carpet event: A glamorous or prestigious event.
Red carpet treatment: Treating someone with VIP or special attention.
Red ink: Financial losses or deficit.
Red tape: Excessive bureaucracy/administrative procedures.
Red-eye flight: A late-night or overnight flight.
Red-letter day: A special and memorable day.
Roll out the red carpet: To welcome someone with great hospitality and ceremony.
Rolling in the green: Having a lot of money or wealth.
Rose-colored glasses: Having a positive or overly optimistic outlook on something.
S
Seeing pink elephants: Hallucinating due to alcohol or drug use.
Seeing red: Being extremely angry.
Silver lining: A positive aspect in a negative situation.
W
White flag: A symbol of surrender or submission.
White lie: A harmless or small lie told to avoid hurting someone's feelings.
White-collar worker: A person who has a job in an office, usually doing professional, administrative, or clerical work.
Y
Yellow journalism: Sensational or exaggerated reporting in the media.
Yellow-bellied: Cowardly or timid.