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Colors: I'm feeling very blue today.

Daniel Phung
Daniel Phung

American English contains many colorful expressions that are based on colors. Red is used to describe anger or heat, while pink refers to good health. Blue is associated with sadness, as in the blues music genre. Feeling green can mean nausea, and being green with envy means extreme jealousy. Money is called greenbacks because of the color of American dollar bills. Bad or unlucky days are described as black. Periods of limited electricity are known as brownouts.

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Compiled by Phung Thanh Thom Colors: Im Feeling Very Blue Today Many American expressions are based on colors. Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. Many everyday American expressions are based on colors. Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz. Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health. Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful. Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded a famous song Mood Indigo about the deep blue color, indigo. In the words of the song: You aint been blue till youve had that Mood Indigo. Someone who is blue is very sad. The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling stomach may say she feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back side of the paper money. The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day. A blacklist is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations. In some cases, colors describe a situation. A brownout is an expression for a reduction in electric power. Brown outs happen when there is too much demand for electricity. The electric system is unable to offer all the power needed in an area. Blackouts were common during World War Two. Officials would order all lights in a city turned off to make it difficult for enemy planes to find a target in the dark of night. Source: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/words-and-their-stories-colorful-expressions/1595461.html Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningEnglish.SwanSong Page 1
Compiled by Phung Thanh Thom Words and their Definitions Note: The definitions and examples given below are adapted from the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary - 8th Edition, the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary - 3rd Edition, the Macmillan English Dictionary - 2nd Edition, the Collins COBUILD Dictionary on CD-ROM 2006, the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - 5th Edition and several newspapers online. 1) red hot (adj.): (informal) a) showing strong feeling her red-hot angry b) extremely hot Be careful with those plates theyre red-hot. The stove is red-hot, so dont touch it. c) Red-hot is used to describe a person or thing that is very popular, especially someone who is very good at what they do or something that is new and exciting. (Journalism) Some traders are already stacking the red-hot book on their shelves. a red-hot news story a new red-hot American boy band The Braves have been red-hot in the last few games. The film has some red-hot love scenes. 2) in the pink (idm.): (old-fashioned, informal) in very good health Your health thrives, and the weather can put you in the pink of condition. (sacbee.com) It is uncertain whether Mr Ben Ali, 73 and not in the pink of health, will run yet again in 2014. (economist.com) 3) blues /bluz/ (n.): (often the blues) [U] a type of slow, sad music, originally from the southern US, in which the singer typically sings about their difficult life or bad luck in love Billie Holiday was famous for singing the blues. a famous blues singer/band 4) blue /blu/ (adj.): very sad = depressed /d肘prest/ (adj.) = down /dan/ (adj.) [not before noun] (informal) Hed been feeling blue all weak. She usually calls her mother when shes feeling blue. Theres no earthly reason for me to feel so blue. Hes been a bit blue since he failed his exams. She felt very depressed about the future. 5) green (adj.): (of a person or their skin) (informal) looking pale and unhealthy because you are ill George looked a bit green the next morning. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningEnglish.SwanSong Page 2
Compiled by Phung Thanh Thom look green about/around the gills (= look pale and ill) It was a rough crossing and most of the passengers looked distinctly green. 6) be green with envy (idm.): very jealous Bens heading off to Spain for the week, and Im green with envy. Your friend may have everything you think you want, but if you are green with envy, your friend will sense somethings out of sync in your relationship. (au.news.yahoo.com) My former partners mother was green with envy at the opportunities for education, career and lifestyle which she felt she had not had but my former partner had. (guardian.co.uk) Still acknowledged as one of the most vibrant architects working today, Piano, the son of a builder, has enough projects under construction or newly opened to make younger architects green with envy. (time.com) 7) greenback /鼻rinb脱k/ (n.): [C] (NAmE, old-fashioned, slang, informal) an American dollar note The greenback has soared 19% against a basket of major currencies since July 15. (investors.com) In Asia, the Hong Kong dollar is tied to the greenback, so prices remain stable. (washingtonpost.com) The greenback is very popular in countries where the local currency is unstable. (orlandosentinel.com) 8) a black day (n.): a day in which everything goes wrong So is it really a black day, or is it just going back to the old system that worked better? (guardian.co.uk) Weve had some great days this season but yesterday was a black day. (edp24.co.uk) 9) blacklist /bl脱kl肘st/ (n.): [C] a list of the names of people, companies, products or countries that an organization or a government considers unacceptable and that must be avoided Any client who doesnt pay on time goes on our blacklist. Friends of the Earth have produced a blacklist of environmentally damaging products. Late last year, Washington removed Vietnam from the religious-freedom blacklist. (time.com) He uses a blacklist feature to block out anyone who gets on his nerves too much. (cnn.com) But traveling there is difficult, she says, because shes on the government blacklist. (npr.org) 10) brownout /branat/ (n.): [C] (especially NAmE) a period of time when the electricity supply is not strong enough to supply all the power that is needed The cafe was without lights because of a brownout. Maryland faces potential brownouts within five years unless it builds new power plants. Compare: blackout /bl脱kat/ (n.): [C] a period of darkness caused by a failure of the electricity supply = power cut /par kt/ (BrE) (NAmE power outrage /par at肘d/ ) (n.) There were blackouts throughout California. 11) blackout /bl脱kat/ (n.): [usually singular] (especially BrE) a period of time during a war when all lights must be put out or covered at night, so that they cannot be seen by an enemy attacking by air It used to take hours to travel home in the blackout. blackout curtains. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningEnglish.SwanSong Page 3

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Colors: I'm feeling very blue today.

  • 1. Compiled by Phung Thanh Thom Colors: Im Feeling Very Blue Today Many American expressions are based on colors. Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. Many everyday American expressions are based on colors. Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz. Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health. Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful. Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded a famous song Mood Indigo about the deep blue color, indigo. In the words of the song: You aint been blue till youve had that Mood Indigo. Someone who is blue is very sad. The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling stomach may say she feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back side of the paper money. The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day. A blacklist is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations. In some cases, colors describe a situation. A brownout is an expression for a reduction in electric power. Brown outs happen when there is too much demand for electricity. The electric system is unable to offer all the power needed in an area. Blackouts were common during World War Two. Officials would order all lights in a city turned off to make it difficult for enemy planes to find a target in the dark of night. Source: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/words-and-their-stories-colorful-expressions/1595461.html Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningEnglish.SwanSong Page 1
  • 2. Compiled by Phung Thanh Thom Words and their Definitions Note: The definitions and examples given below are adapted from the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary - 8th Edition, the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary - 3rd Edition, the Macmillan English Dictionary - 2nd Edition, the Collins COBUILD Dictionary on CD-ROM 2006, the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - 5th Edition and several newspapers online. 1) red hot (adj.): (informal) a) showing strong feeling her red-hot angry b) extremely hot Be careful with those plates theyre red-hot. The stove is red-hot, so dont touch it. c) Red-hot is used to describe a person or thing that is very popular, especially someone who is very good at what they do or something that is new and exciting. (Journalism) Some traders are already stacking the red-hot book on their shelves. a red-hot news story a new red-hot American boy band The Braves have been red-hot in the last few games. The film has some red-hot love scenes. 2) in the pink (idm.): (old-fashioned, informal) in very good health Your health thrives, and the weather can put you in the pink of condition. (sacbee.com) It is uncertain whether Mr Ben Ali, 73 and not in the pink of health, will run yet again in 2014. (economist.com) 3) blues /bluz/ (n.): (often the blues) [U] a type of slow, sad music, originally from the southern US, in which the singer typically sings about their difficult life or bad luck in love Billie Holiday was famous for singing the blues. a famous blues singer/band 4) blue /blu/ (adj.): very sad = depressed /d肘prest/ (adj.) = down /dan/ (adj.) [not before noun] (informal) Hed been feeling blue all weak. She usually calls her mother when shes feeling blue. Theres no earthly reason for me to feel so blue. Hes been a bit blue since he failed his exams. She felt very depressed about the future. 5) green (adj.): (of a person or their skin) (informal) looking pale and unhealthy because you are ill George looked a bit green the next morning. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningEnglish.SwanSong Page 2
  • 3. Compiled by Phung Thanh Thom look green about/around the gills (= look pale and ill) It was a rough crossing and most of the passengers looked distinctly green. 6) be green with envy (idm.): very jealous Bens heading off to Spain for the week, and Im green with envy. Your friend may have everything you think you want, but if you are green with envy, your friend will sense somethings out of sync in your relationship. (au.news.yahoo.com) My former partners mother was green with envy at the opportunities for education, career and lifestyle which she felt she had not had but my former partner had. (guardian.co.uk) Still acknowledged as one of the most vibrant architects working today, Piano, the son of a builder, has enough projects under construction or newly opened to make younger architects green with envy. (time.com) 7) greenback /鼻rinb脱k/ (n.): [C] (NAmE, old-fashioned, slang, informal) an American dollar note The greenback has soared 19% against a basket of major currencies since July 15. (investors.com) In Asia, the Hong Kong dollar is tied to the greenback, so prices remain stable. (washingtonpost.com) The greenback is very popular in countries where the local currency is unstable. (orlandosentinel.com) 8) a black day (n.): a day in which everything goes wrong So is it really a black day, or is it just going back to the old system that worked better? (guardian.co.uk) Weve had some great days this season but yesterday was a black day. (edp24.co.uk) 9) blacklist /bl脱kl肘st/ (n.): [C] a list of the names of people, companies, products or countries that an organization or a government considers unacceptable and that must be avoided Any client who doesnt pay on time goes on our blacklist. Friends of the Earth have produced a blacklist of environmentally damaging products. Late last year, Washington removed Vietnam from the religious-freedom blacklist. (time.com) He uses a blacklist feature to block out anyone who gets on his nerves too much. (cnn.com) But traveling there is difficult, she says, because shes on the government blacklist. (npr.org) 10) brownout /branat/ (n.): [C] (especially NAmE) a period of time when the electricity supply is not strong enough to supply all the power that is needed The cafe was without lights because of a brownout. Maryland faces potential brownouts within five years unless it builds new power plants. Compare: blackout /bl脱kat/ (n.): [C] a period of darkness caused by a failure of the electricity supply = power cut /par kt/ (BrE) (NAmE power outrage /par at肘d/ ) (n.) There were blackouts throughout California. 11) blackout /bl脱kat/ (n.): [usually singular] (especially BrE) a period of time during a war when all lights must be put out or covered at night, so that they cannot be seen by an enemy attacking by air It used to take hours to travel home in the blackout. blackout curtains. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningEnglish.SwanSong Page 3