COLOR IDIOMS continuation of animal idioms!

[queenbu]

What about Black Maria?
a prison van
Example: The policeman took the three suspects to the police station in a Black Maria.

But are these idioms?

[BobK]

Originally Posted by queenbu

What about Black Maria?
a prison van
Example: The policeman took the three suspects to the police station in a Black Maria.
But are these idioms?

No - you're right. 'Black Tuesday/Wednesday' aren't idioms; they're just phrases that use 'black' in the sense of unlucky/ill-omened.

Two things require care about 'Black Maria':

• It's quite dated; police cars haven't been black for many years. I've occasionally heard the expression 'strawberry sandwich' referring to a police car, which is white with a red horizontal stripe.
• There's a triphthong at the end - /aıə/, not /i:ə/ as you might expect. You may know this queenbu, but people meeting the word in writing for the first time won't.

b

[queenbu]

Yes, in fact I had heard the use of it when I was still very young and it remained impressed on my mind as there had just been a murder of a prostitute.

[Mad-ox]

hi,
to be browned off =to be bored, annoyed at something

eg
I’m browned off with this place. There is nothing to do here.

have a nice day,
madox

[daniela79]

Originally Posted by Mad-ox

catch somebody red-handed=find somebody while they are doing something wrong, commiting a crime, etc

eg The thief was caught red-handed as she was emptying the till.


Have a nice day ( life ),

madox

thank you very much! you too!

[medasha]

"White elephant" - A rare, expensive possession that is a financial burden to maintain

F.ex.That printer I bought last year is useless now.They've stopped selling the ribbons it needs, so it's become a complete white elephant

[Mad-ox]

hi,

nail your colours to the mast= show clearly which side you support.

eg. It's time to nail our colours to the mast and condemn this dreadful policy.

NOTE/ ORIGIN of this idiom: In this expression, colours are flags. In a battle at sea, a ship would nail its colours to the mast to show its intention to continue fighting and not surrender.


Madox

[Mad-ox]

the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence= things always seem better in another place, job, etc.


eg. He says he would be able to do business better in France, but the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence!


the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence:

Madox

[albertino]

black and blue = bruises
He was beaten up with black and blue all over his body.

Let's paint the town red = enjoy yourself at bars and clubs
Hey guys, let's paint the town red tonight.

[blouen]

browned off, Slang. angry; fed up.

Stop that before I get browned off.