Read Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook Online
Authors: Gail Brenner
walk on tiptoes
to walk or tread very quietly and carefully so as not to upset anyone; to avoid controversial issues. This expression refers to literally and figuratively walking softly on the very tips of one’s toes; also
to tiptoe (around).
♦
Please
walk on tiptoes
so that you don’t wake up the baby.
♦
I’m not going to
tiptoe around
the board members.
If I have an opinion, I’ll give it.
step on someone’s toes
to offend someone or get involved where one doesn’t belong; to step uninvited into someone else’s place or get involved in someone else’s responsibility ♦
I would offer to help them, but I don’t want to
step on anyone’s toes. ♦
He
stepped on a lot of toes
when he tried to redesign an already excellent program.
One more expression with
toes
alludes to keeping one’s toes along a prescribed line, as one is ordered to do:
toe the line
to do what one is told and expected to do, to obey the rules; to stop ignoring or challenging the rules ♦
If you don’t
toe the line,
you’ll be looking for a new job!
♦
Our father was strict; we always had to
toe the line.
CHAPTER 14
COLOR IDIOMS
Some idioms with color words refer to an actual color. For example
to turn red
(to become embarrassed) refers to the reddening or flushed color of the face when one feels embarrassed or self-conscious. The idiom
a gray hair
(an elderly person) refers to an older person’s gray hair.
Other idioms are metaphors for color. For example, to have
a green thumb
(to be able to grow plants easily) uses the color green as a metaphor for healthy plants.
The idioms in this chapter are listed by color: first the primary colors,
red, blue,
and
yellow;
then other colors; then multicolors; and finally a few expressions that use the word
color.
Red
Some idioms that use
red
can be traced back to skin color. If a person becomes extremely mad or extremely embarrassed, his or her facial skin may turn red or deepen in color—hence
red
idioms relating to anger or embarrassment.
Red
is also a color that is associated with excitement and good times, as in the idioms
paint the town red
and
red carpet.
turn red
1. (v)
to become extremely embarrassed and blush; depending on context, can also mean to become extremely angry ♦
She
turned
bright
red
when she opened the package with lacy underwear in front of her coworkers.
♦
My dad was so mad when I wrecked the car that he
turned red
in the face.
2. (adj)
blushing as a result of extreme embarrassment; often used with the verbs to
be, become, get,
and
turn
♦
He
got red
in the face when I asked about the broken window, so I know he did it.
♦
My boss
became red
in the face when I criticized her.
see red
(v)
to be extremely angry ♦
I
saw red
when I came home and found the house such a mess after I’d cleaned it yesterday.
paint the town red
to go out and have a fantastic evening of fun and entertainment; enjoy nightlife ♦
On my 40th birthday, we went out and
painted the town red.
red carpet
(n, adj)
special or royal welcome and attention. Alludes to the red carpet that is rolled out for royalty or dignitaries to walk on at special events; often phrased as
the red carpet treatment
or
roll out the red carpet.
♦
You sure gave us the
red carpet
treatment when we came to visit. Thank you.
♦
I’m not expecting you to roll out the
red carpet;
I just need a place to sleep for the night.
red tape
(adj)
excessive bureaucratic rules and regulations that often cause long delays; often expressed as
to get caught up in red tape
♦ T
here was so much
red tape
involved in trying to get our business loan, we thought we’d never get it.
in the red
to have a negative balance in one’s account; refers to red ink used to show a negative balance or money that is owed ♦
Your account is
in the red.
You need to pay the balance due.
[See also
in the black
later in this chapter.]
catch someone red-handed
to catch someone in an illicit act, like committing a crime or being sneaky and deceptive ♦
Ah ha! I
caught you red-handed
taking my favorite shirt. Put it back; you didn’t ask, and you can’t borrow it!
Blue
While some idioms with
red
imply getting more blood to the face, some idioms that use
blue
imply just the opposite — less blood to the face or a lack of oxygen. Sometimes the word
blue
means sad, melancholy, or depressed. The following idioms express some of these conditions, or have other meanings.
turn blue
(v)
to be extremely cold; to have extreme difficulty breathing as a result of choking or coughing, or have trouble catching one’s breath because of laughter. This may literally refer to becoming blue from cold temperatures, lack of circulation, or lack of oxygen. ♦
It’s so cold outside today. I’m
turning blue! ♦
That comedian made us laugh so hard we were
turning blue.
talk until one is blue in the face
to talk without ceasing; to talk a lot, often in an effort to convince someone of something. Alludes to passing out from a lack of oxygen; often linked with the verb
argue.
♦
I
talked until I was blue in the face,
but she refuses to listen to my advice.
♦
You can
argue until you’re blue in the face,
but we’re not going to buy you a car.
blue
(adj)
sad, melancholy, or depressed; often phrased as
feel blue
♦
Why do you look so
blue?
What’s wrong?
♦
He’s been
feeling
pretty
blue
since his relationship ended.
the blues
(n)
sadness, melancholy, or depression; often phrased
have the blues or get the blues
♦
I don’t know why, but I just
have the blues
today.
♦
Cold weather always gives me
the blues.
sing the blues
(v)
to feel sad, melancholy, or regretful, often about lost love, but also other situations that cause regret; usually said in the continuous form (
singing
) ♦
Man, since my girlfriend left, I’ve been
singing the blues. ♦
Chris, if you don’t start studying for your exams you’re going to be
singing the blues.
Note:
This idiom alludes to
blues music,
also called
the blues
—a type of African-American folk music and jazz that’s characterized by a melancholy beat and a focus on mournful events.
talk a blue streak
to talk without ceasing, to talk a lot. Alludes to creating a streak of lightning from talking so fast and continuously. ♦
That woman can
talk a blue streak.
Once she starts it’s impossible to get her to stop.
blue hair
(n)
an elderly woman whose hair dye makes her hair turn a blue shade ♦
Did you see all the
blue hairs
playing the slot machines in Las Vegas?
♦
Everyone came to the reunion, from infants to the
blue hairs.
blue-collar
(adj)
describes a person who does factory work or manual labor and traditionally wears a blue work shirt or blue coveralls with a blue collar; also
blue-collar job
and
blue-collar neighborhood
♦
Our neighborhood was all
blue-collar
workers.
♦ Blue-collar
jobs are declining while public service jobs are on the increase.
[See
white-collar
and
pink-collar
later in this chapter.]
true blue
(adj)
very loyal, staunch, and trustworthy ♦
As a friend, she’s
true blue.
You can always depend on her.
once in a blue moon
very rarely, not often. Refers to the rare second full moon in a month, called a
blue moon.
♦
They see her only
once in a blue moon;
they wish it were more often.
♦
My family rarely took vacations — only
once in a blue moon.
out of the blue
comes completely unexpectedly and often suddenly. Alludes to something dropping suddenly out of the sky; also phrased
out of the clear blue sky
and
out of nowhere
♦
We got a call
out of the blue
from an old college friend. It was a wonderful and unexpected surprise.
♦
I don’t know where I got that idea — it just
came out of the clear blue sky.
Yellow
Yellow
isn’t used often in idioms. The idiom below is the only usage:
yellow
or
yellow-bellied
cowardly and afraid. This idiom has a slightly outdated feel to it, as it’s often associated with old cowboy movies. ♦
Are you going to fight me or are you
yellow? ♦
He’s a
yellow-bellied
coward to leave her with three kids.
Green
The color green, of course, is associated with nature. This leads to some of its idiomatic uses.
have a green thumb
to have a skill or talent for growing plants easily and successfully ♦
My mother
has
such
a green thumb.
Her plants always look so healthy.
a green
(n)
an environmentalist; more specifically, a member of the political party called the Green Party, which champions environmental causes ♦
We
greens
want to see an environmental president elected.
green
(adj)
naive, inexperienced ♦
These first-year students are still
green.
They hardly know their way around the campus.
get the green light
to get approval to go ahead with a plan or project. Refers to the color green on a traffic light signaling one to go. ♦
We finally
got the green light
on our home loan, so we can buy the house.
green around the gills
sick; nauseated ♦
After an hour on the boat I was really
green around the gills.
Note:
Gills
is an old word for the area around the mouth.
green with envy
envious, desiring someone else’s possessions or good fortune; often said lightly as a way of congratulations ♦
Man, I’m
green with envy
about your trip to Europe.
♦
You got a huge raise?! Everyone will be
green with envy.
Pink
Idioms that use
pink
tend to be positive.
in the pink
in good physical condition and healthy. Refers to the healthy pink skin tone of light-skinned people. ♦
He was sick for awhile, but he’s back
in the pink
again.
tickled pink
pleased; delighted ♦
She was
tickled pink
to get a cell phone for her birthday.
pink-collar
(adj)
describes jobs such as secretary or salesclerk that are typically held by women. Refers to pink as a feminine color; also
pink-collar job
and
pink-collar worker.
♦
When we were young the only jobs available to women were
pink-collar jobs.
[See also
blue-collar
and
white-collar
in other parts of this chapter.]
Brown
There are just a few idioms that use the color brown.
brown-bag it
to bring one’s lunch from home to eat at work. Refers to the standard brown paper lunch bag. Someone who brings such a lunch is a
brown-bagger.
♦
Until I get my paycheck, I’m
brown-bagging it;
no expensive lunches out for me.
♦
You can save money if you
brown-bag it
every day.
brown-nose
(v)
to seek favor or approval by showing too great a willingness to obey or serve someone ♦
I’m not going to
brown-nose
the boss, though some people in the office do.
♦
He
brown-nosed
his way into a better position.
Note:
This is considered a very crude expression.
brownie points
credit for doing good deeds. Refers to points or credit earned for achievements by girls in the Brownies, the youngest group of Girl Scouts; often phrased
to earn brownie points.
♦
You definitely got some
brownie points
for helping me yesterday.
♦
She’s just trying to
earn brownie points
with the teacher by helping to straighten the classroom.
[See the opposite of
brownie points
,
black mark,
later in this chapter.]
Black
Although many idioms with
black
have a negative connotation, others simply allude to darkness or have a positive meaning.
go black
1.
to become unconscious ♦ T
he last thing I remember was bumping my head, then everything
went black.
2.
to lose electrical power, specifically the lights ♦
When the earthquake hit, the whole town
went black.
black hole
a place where lost things go. Alludes to a region in the universe of such intense gravitational pull, not even light can escape. ♦
Well, we lost another sock in the
black hole
of the dryer.
♦
This car keeps breaking down. Repairing it is like pouring money down a
black hole!
in the black
to be financially sound, owing no money; to have a positive, not a negative balance on one’s accounts. Refers to the black ink used to show a positive balance. ♦
We’ve managed to keep this company
in the black
even during difficult economic times.