Common Expressions: Colors
Duration: 8–10 minutes
Level: int +
Language Focus: Colloquial expressions
Objective: Learning new colloquial expressions
There are many common expressions with colors in English. Below you will find six that we use very frequently.
1. To make someone see red
What do you think that means?
Look at the example:
Ooh, I hate driving to work in the morning. Traffic jams really make me see red!
That’s right! If something makes us see red, it means that it makes us angry.
Remember this:
What color is a torero’s cape? And how does the bull react?
2. To feel blue / to have the blues
What do you think that means?
Look at the example:
After he broke up with his girlfriend, he felt very blue. He stayed at home and cried all day.
That’s right! If you feel blue, it means you feel sad.
Remember this:
Have you heard of the musical genre called the blues? What kind of music is it?
3. To be green with envy
What do you think that means?
Look at the example:
Erica got a new job and it’s perfect! Everyone is going to be green with envy.
That’s right! If you are green with envy, it means you feel jealous or envious.
4. To tell a white lie
What do you think that means?
Look at the example:
I told her that her wedding dress looked lovely, but it really didn’t suit her. I feel bad, but it was only a white lie. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
That’s right! A white lie is a small lie told with good intentions, especially not to offend someone.
Remember this:
White is generally associated with innocence or purity.
5. To be a black sheep / to be the black sheep of the family
What do you think that means?
Look at the example:
Everyone in her family is super conservative and she is very left-wing. She is totally the black sheep of the family.
That’s right! A black sheep in a group is someone who is different from everyone else.
Remember this:
Most sheep are white, so a black sheep would stand out or be different from the rest.
