How to Improve your Writing by Using Idioms
Before peeping into the street of color idioms, let’s try to learn what idioms are, how to improve your English by using idioms, and how can you embellish your writing by using different idioms especially color idioms. Idioms, as you know, are words or expressions different from their real meanings. Some idioms are very common and popular to use, and some are used very rarely.
Ameliorate your English by Using Idioms from the Idiom Series of Write to Aspire
To have a complete understanding of how to use idioms in your writings, Write to Aspire is creating a series of idiomatic expressions that will surely help you to adorn your scripts.
There’s a long list of idioms that you can use to give power to your texts, contents, or jottings. This list includes sweet idioms, funny idioms, idioms about happiness, idioms about sadness, and so on.
Write to Aspire has categorized this list of idioms to help kids and new learners of English to apprehend them quickly and to become familiar with these crazy expressions. You can use these idioms in your language and writings to express yourself interestingly.
We should bear in mind that idioms can’t be translated directly. It would be best to learn the exact meanings of idiomatic expressions instead of learning individual words and their definitions.
To sound like a native English speaker, one should master the idioms. The use of phrases in your language or scripts shows your fluency in the English language. Thus, correct usage of expressions can amplify your piece of information in a way that draws readers in and awakens their senses.
Some writers use idioms to add colors to their writings while others are adamant and try to keep their scripts as simple as can be. Here is a list of color idioms to help you express yourself with a whole rainbow of rich English vocabulary.
Color Idioms with Examples
To see red
The color red is often associated with heat, violence, a sign of warning as used in traffic lights and ripeness as in fruits, etc. It’s considered that the idiom “see red” derives from the bull-fighting sport. It means to become angry suddenly and belongs to the category of color idioms.
Example
His criticism was enough to make me see red.
Tickled pink
The word tickle used here doesn’t mean the light stroking of the skin. This idiomatic expression relates to pleasure and belongs to the category of the color idiom.
Example
I was tickled pink when my husband sent me flowers and gifts on my birthday.
To feel blue
The word blue in this expression refers to sadness. It means to feel sad or
depressed or to miss someone or something to a great extent.
Example
I feel blue whenever I remember the sudden death of my father.
Golden Opportunity
A golden opportunity is considered a perfect chance or an ideal moment that shouldn’t be missed. This idiomatic expression belongs to the class of color idioms.
Example
Please don’t cancel this interview; this is a golden opportunity for you.
Grey Area
The idiom grey area refers to something that is not clear or defined.
Example
How it happened is a grey area yet.
Red tape
The phrase red tape refers to the practice of binding legal documents in red tape. It means a delay in official tasks.
Example
The public often suffers a lot because of the red tape in offices.
Yellow-bellied
The idiom yellow-bellied used to refer to birds with a yellow belly. After that t came to mean an insult for timid or coward or the person who has not enough courage. This expression belongs to the class of color idioms.
Example
We call Amelia yellow-bellied since she’s too scared to go on a roller-coaster.
Green with envy
The origin of the idiom green with envy comes directly from the Great William Shakespeare’s masterpiece Othello in which Lago warns Othello.
Example
My engagement ring made my friend green with envy.
White lie
The word “lie” dates back to the 900s. In the beginning, no color was attached to the word lie. Nonetheless, white was considered as pure and good. Hence, if a lie is white, it doesn’t mean to inflict any harm. We can use the idiom “white lie” to protect another person’s feelings.
Examples
Telling a white lie is better than hurting someone’s feelings.
Once in a blue moon
This idiomatic expression is being used since the 1800s. Blue moon refers to the appearance of a full moon second time in the same calendar, and this phenomenon happens once in 32 months only, i.e., very rarely.
Example
My granddaughter comes to see me only once in a blue moon.
Black sheep
In the 16th century, sheep with black wool was considered a mark of the devil. This idiomatic expression gives the negative impression of a person and belongs to the category of color idioms.
Example
Tom was the black sheep of the family after he had got involved in the bank robbery.
Roll out the red carpet
As we all know, the red carpet is usually laid out for dignitaries to walk on. This idiomatic expression means to treat someone with exceptional treatment.
Example
We rolled out the red carpet for the special guests.
Green Thumb
A theory associated with this idiomatic expression is that algae, which grows on the outside of clay pots, will stain a person’s thumb or fingers if he/she works with enough pots. Hence, a person working with pots of plants and flowers always has a green thumb.
Example
Emma’s garden is stunning because she has a green thumb.
Black and blue
This phrase refers to a physical injury. Something black and blue has been hurt or beaten physically or emotionally.
Example
The owner beat the pet dog black and blue and then left him on the road to die.
Pink elephants
The idiom pink elephants refer to a seemingly real perception of something that is not present due to mental disorders or taking drugs.
Example
When Phillip started seeing pink elephants, he knew he had to stop drinking so much.
To catch red-handed
The phrase refers to any crime or wrong-doing, i.e., to catch someone in the middle of committing a crime or doing something wrong.
Example
The police caught Edwin red-handed when he was stealing the car.
The green light
The phrase green light was used in the first half of the 1900s. The people used this expression as traffic signals where “green” means “go. This idiomatic expression actually means permission to begin or go forward.
Example
The mother gave us the green light to go on the trip.
Browned off
This idiomatic expression refers to someone annoyed and unhappy about something.
Example
Tom is browned off with his job.
| Hope the English Idiom Club of Write to Aspire helps someone somewhere to be more expressive. |
