| Idiom/Saying | Explanation |
|---|---|
To black out. For example:- "She blacked out this morning, so I told her to go to the doctors." |
To lose consciousness. |
To black out a memory. For example:- "I've completely blacked out what happened before and after the crash, I just don't want to remember." |
To forget something completely. |
To be in the black. For example:- "It was so nice to be in the black at the end of the month. My new budget is obviously working." |
To be clear of debt. |
To be black and blue. For example:- "She was black and blue after the accident." |
To be badly bruised. |
To give someone a black look. For example:- "I always knew when my mother was annoyed with me, she would give me such a black look." |
To look at someone in a disapproving way. |
To look as black as thunder. For example:- "When I told them I was leaving, they looked as black as thunder." |
To look really angry. |
To be black and white. For example:- "It was easy to decide, everything was black and white." |
A very clear choice that causes no confusion. |
Black and white thinking. For example:- "Some people think people are good or bad, but not everything is so black and white." |
To have a simplistic and certain opinion about things. |
The pot calling the kettle black. For example:- "When politicians say that bankers have been lying, it's like the pot calling the kettle black." |
To accuse someone of being a hypocrite. |
To blacken someone's name. For example:- "This scandal will really blacken his name, whether or not he's guilty." |
To sully or defame someone. |
To feel (be) blue. For example:- "She's a bit blue at the moment, she got her exam results." |
To feel unhappy or depressed. |
To be black and blue. For example:- "She was black and blue after the accident." |
To be badly bruised. |
To come out of the blue. For example:- "Her decision to travel round the world came out of the blue." |
If something comes out of the blue it's a big surprise. |
To scream blue murder. For example:- "They screamed blue murder when I told them there'd be a test." |
To protest loudly. |
Flying colours. For example:- "All his hard work paid off, he passed the exam with flying colours." |
Conspicuous success. |
To be off colour. For example:- "I decided not to go shopping because I felt a bit off colour." |
To feel ill. |
To be green around the gills. For example:- "When I offered Xeb a Marmite sandwich, she went green around the gills." |
To look ill. |
To be green with envy. For example:- "They've got a brand new 52" TV. I'm so green!" |
To be jealous or envious of someone. |
To be green ¹ For example:- "Don't leave him unsupervised, he's a bit green." |
To be inexperienced. |
To be green ² For example:- "They have solar panels and a rainwater system, they're very green." |
To live in a way that helps the environment. |
To get / give the green light. For example:- "The project got the green light, so we start next week" |
To give someone permission to do something. |
To buy a lemon. For example:- "All those people who bought a new Toyota have bought a lemon." |
To buy something useless or defective. |
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Red sky at night, shepherd's delight. |
If the sky is red in the evening, at sunset, the weather should be nice the next day. (Shepherd's look after sheep, so they prefer nice weather.) |
Red tape. For example:- "I'd like to set up my own business, but there's too much red tape!" |
Excessive regulation (especially form filling) that is considered overly bureaucratic. |
To be a red. For example:- "They're always seeing reds under the beds. I don't know what they're so afraid of." |
To be a communist. |
To caught red handed. For example:- "They tried a bit of shoplifting, but they were caught red handed by the security guard." |
To be caught doing something wrong. |
To be in the red. For example:- "I'm always in the red before the end of the month. I need to budget more carefully." |
To be in debt. |
To see red. For example:- "When they told me they'd broken the window, I saw red." |
To be very angry. |
A scarlet woman For example:- "She was labelled a scarlet woman when she became pregnant." |
A woman who is notorious because people believe she has too many men in her life. |
To wave (raise / carry) a white flag. For example:- "I think it's time to wave the white flag and declare bankruptcy." |
To surrender or give up. |
To be black and white. For example:- "It was easy to decide, everything was black and white." |
A very clear choice that causes no confusion. |
Black and white thinking. For example:- "Some people think people are good or bad, but not everything is so black and white." |
To have a simplistic and certain opinion about things. |
To be whiter than white. For example:- "I can't believe he's guilty, he always seemed to be whiter than white." |
Someone who never does anything wrong. |
To look as white as a sheet. For example:- "She turned as white as a sheet and then she fainted." |
To look very pale and shocked. |
To be yellow. For example:- "They called him yellow, just because he wouldn't fight." |
To be cowardly. |
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