Colour idioms

[borsbali]

Hi,

I found a very good exercise full of colour idioms for my pupils, but I do not know every solution for it. I marked it with points where I'm looking for a "colour" word in the sentence. I would also appreciate if you could add the meaning, too.

"This morning my wife called me yellow-bellied for not wanting to start my own business. Actually, I'm just afraid of all the rep tape involved. This afternoon, she told me she is leaving me for a man in the oil business. She thinks the grass will be greener on the other side just because he has a lot of money from all that ... .... (2 words are missing). Personally, I think he's just a rich ...neck who is responsible for more than his share of green house gas emissions. So, the no-good ...digger has shown her true colours and is moving out. This evening she is going to catch the ...-eye to Houston. Tomorrow she says her lawyers will start divorce proceedings. She'll get the ...mine and I'll get the shaft."

Thanks a lot,

Balázs.

[bhaisahab]

Hi,

I found a very good exercise full of colour idioms for my pupils, but I do not know every solution for it. I marked it with points where I'm looking for a "colour" word in the sentence. I would also appreciate if you could add the meaning, too.

"This morning my wife called me yellow-bellied for not wanting to start my own business. Actually, I'm just afraid of all the rep tape involved. This afternoon, she told me she is leaving me for a man in the oil business. She thinks the grass will be greener on the other side just because he has a lot of money from all that ... .... (2 words are missing). Personally, I think he's just a rich ...neck who is responsible for more than his share of green house gas emissions. So, the no-good ...digger has shown her true colours and is moving out. This evening she is going to catch the ...-eye to Houston. Tomorrow she says her lawyers will start divorce proceedings. She'll get the ...mine and I'll get the shaft."

Thanks a lot,

Balázs.

"This morning my wife called me yellow-bellied for not wanting to start my own business. Actually, I'm just afraid of all the rep tape involved. This afternoon, she told me she is leaving me for a man in the oil business. She thinks the grass will be greener on the other side just because he has a lot of money from all that black gold (2 words are missing). Personally, I think he's just a rich redneck who is responsible for more than his share of green house gas emissions. So, the no-good gold digger has shown her true colours and is moving out. This evening she is going to catch the red-eye to Houston. Tomorrow she says her lawyers will start divorce proceedings. She'll get the goldmine and I'll get the shaft."

[RonBee]

How about:
.

The trouble is I am just a greenhorn, and I am leery of all the red tape that might be involved.

[Gillnetter]

Hi,

I found a very good exercise full of colour idioms for my pupils, but I do not know every solution for it. I marked it with points where I'm looking for a "colour" word in the sentence. I would also appreciate if you could add the meaning, too.

"This morning my wife called me yellow-bellied for not wanting to start my own business. {Afraid}
{This morning my wife called me yellow-bellied for not wanting to start my own business, though I had a golden opportunity that just appeared out of the blue}
{Golden opportunity: an unusually good chance. Out of the blue: seemingly from nowhere, a sudden appearance}

Actually, I'm just afraid of all the rep red tape involved. {Red tape: Government forms to fill out, requirements to meet, etc.}

This afternoon, she told me she is leaving me for a man in the oil business.
{This afternoon, she told me she is leaving me for a black-hearted man in the oil business}
{Black-hearted: mean, evil}

She thinks the grass will be greener on the other side just because he has a lot of money from all that black gold (2 words are missing).
{Grass will be greener: Things will be better,things will be easier. Black gold: oil}

Personally, I think he's just a rich red neck who is responsible for more than his share of green house gas emissions.
{Red neck: - Unusually though of as an illiterate person with ultra conservation values. Green house: In this context it relates to a theory that certain gases are containing heat in the atmosphere, thus causing a warming trend}

So, the no-good gold digger has shown her true colours and is moving out.
{Gold digger: usually a woman who is only interested in getting money True colors: The way a person really is}

This evening she is going to catch the red-eye to Houston.
{Red-eye: the late night or early morning schedule of an airline}

Tomorrow she says her lawyers will start divorce proceedings. She'll get the gold mine and I'll get the shaft."
{Gold mine: the money or the assets}
{Tomorrow she says her green horn lawyers will start divorce proceedings. She'll get the gold mine and I'll just be blue.}
{Green horn: inexperienced. Blue: sad, not happy


{How about - I was tickled pink about the golden handshake I had just received, it had came like a bolt out of the blue and now I was looking forward to painting the town red as I took the red-eye out of Washington, I was a bit green around the gills as we flew over the green belt when I heard a golden boy talking a blue streak about a once in a blue moon, golden opportunity, he lost due to his black sheep brother who didn’t have the grey matter to see the red flags and avoid being caught by the men in blue and that he was going to be black balled from the black tie event of the year, he was as white as a sheet ,was singing the blues and was definitely not in the pink.}
{Tickled pink: happy, elated.
Golden handshake: To recieve much money upon leaving a company.
Bolt out of the blue: An unexpected event.
Painting the town red: Having a good time, dancing, drinking, etc.
Green around the gills: Nearly ill, nauseated.
Green belt: An area around a city where trees and grass grow.
Golden boy: A favored person, usually a sports figure.
Talk a blue streak: To talk without stopping.
Once in a blue moon: A rare event.
Golden opportunity: An unusually good offer.
Black sheep: A member of a family that is not accepted well by others, someone who causes trouble or is odd.
Grey matter: Brains. Red flags: Warnings.
Men in blue: Police.
Black balled: Not allowed to participate or attend.
Black tie event: A formal affair requiring formal attire.
White as a sheet: A person whose appearance is very white due to some sort of shock.
Singing the blues: Telling people that you are unhappy.
In the pink: Doing very well, happy.


Thanks a lot,

Balázs.

Here are some others to consider. Some may be specific to American speech.

[Searching for language]

In the original posting, green house should be greenhouse. It is not a house which happens to be the colour green.

Not a teacher.

[bhaisahab]

In the original posting, green house should be greenhouse. It is not a house which happens to be the colour green.

Not a teacher.

Yes, you are right, I missed that.

[RonBee]

I'm tickled pink to see so many color idioms.