In English, there are some expressions with colors (Expressions with colors) that are used to describe, among other things, a person’s emotional state.
Colors always give our life some colored thing and it’s around everywhere! This way we can notice its in our daily routine, in our clothes and in our lifestyle! Something interesting about colors is that its tells a bit about ourselves, about our personalities, and not just about us, but about someone else. In English we can use a color to say some about someone, isn’t it interesting? / Colors always bring color to our lives and are everywhere. Thus, it is possible to witness them in our day to day, in our clothes and in our style! An interesting thing about colors is that they talk a little bit about ourselves, about our personality, and also not just about us, but about other people as well. In English, we can use a color to say something about someone, isn’t that interesting?
Let’s see which of them we speak in Portuguese as well and which has meaning just for the English Language. / Let’s see which one we also speak in Portuguese and which has meaning only for the English language.
Blue – Blue
Once in a blue moon =rarely
Example: / Example:
I just see my sister once in a blue moon. / I see my sister very rarely.
Blue in the face =working hard without results
Example: / Example:
You can argue yourself blue in the face that even so, his opinion will keep the same. / You can argue until you get tired, but even so, his opinion will remain the same.
Out of the blue =something that happens suddenly
Example: / Example:
He appears and kissed me out of the blue. / He appeared and suddenly gave me a kiss.
Feel blue =Depressive, feeling bad
Example: / Example:
Every year my mum feel blue at Christmas time. / Every year my mother feels bad at Christmas.
Red – Red
Red-carpet treatment =treating someone very well, rolling out the red carpet (here there is a similarity between the English and Portuguese expressions).
Example: / Example:
My boss was given the red-carpet treatment at a meeting in Paris last month. / My boss gave us great treatment in Paris last month.
Red-handed – blatant. Catch someone red-handed= catch someone in the act.
Example: / Example:
My brother arrived at home earlier and caught his wife red-handed. cheating him with his friend . / My brother came home early and caught his wife in the act cheating on him with a friend of his.
Paint the town red =have fun for a while.
Example: / Example:
Let’s paint the town red tonight! / Let’s have fun for real tonight!
Red hot =something very hot
Example: / Example:
Your mother’s food was almost impossible to eat, it was red hot! / Your mother’s food was almost impossible to eat, it was very hot.
Green – green
Be green with envy = be very envious
Example: / Example:
She was green with envy when her friend showed her new apartment. / She was green with envy when her friend showed her her new apartment.
Give the green light = approve something, give the green light to something.
Example: / Example:
She has completly sure that he’s given her the green light with his eyes. / She is absolutely sure that he is giving her the green light with his eyes.
To be green = being inexperienced or naive.
Example: / Example:
I like him because he is so green. / I like him because he is very naive.
Other colors:
Yellow –Yellow
Yellow journalism = sensationalist press.
Example: / Example:
The yellow journalism doesn’t say anything that you can trust. / The sensationalist press says nothing you can trust.
White – White
White as a ghost = to be very pale with fear or very frightened.
Example: / Example:
She became white as a ghost when she hear a strange voice in her home coming from nowhere. / She went white as a ghost when she heard a voice in her home that came from nowhere.
White wedding =traditional Christian wedding.
Example: / Example:
He’s always dreamed of having a white wedding. / He always dreamed of having a Christian wedding.
Black – Black
Be in the black = Positive balance of accounts (leave red).
Example: / Example:
We are very happy, because we, finaly, are in the black ! / We are very happy that we finally got out of the red.
Black list =black list.
Example: / Example:
You’ll be in my black list for good. / You will be on my black list forever.
