Spring is my favourite season. It’s a time when nature comes back to life, the trees are covered in tender green leaves, and flowers burst into an explosion of colour.
It is during the spring rains that the majestic colors of the rainbow pierce the dark clouds. Just as the glimpse of the rainbow adds much tone and charm to the day, this prism of colors adds a brightness to the English language.
In this article, I will guide you through English expressions related to each color of the rainbow. Not only will you learn to enrich your vocabulary, but you will also understand how these colors reflect powerful emotions, ideas, and images in the English language.
Here are 16 English expressions for each color of the rainbow that will certainly brighten your English.
1. Feeling blue
You say: I'm feeling blue, today.
You mean: I'm feeling sad, today.
2. Once in a blue moon
You say: Once in a blue moon, I watch a movie at the cinema.
You mean: There are still times that I go to watch a movie at the cinema, but it's so rare that it almost never happens.
3. Purple patch
You say: We're going through a purple patch.
You mean: We're going through a period where everything is going really well.
4. Purple prose
You say: She writes in purple prose.
You mean: When she writes, she uses words that are more complex than necessary.
5. Shrinking violet
You say: He's a shrinking violet.
You mean: He's extremely shy.
6. Be tickled pink
You say: I was tickled pink when I received the huge bouquet of flowers.
You mean: I felt so happy and in a good mood when I received the huge bouquet of flowers.
7. Pink slip
You say: I got a pink slip.
You mean: I got fired from my job; I received a C4.
8. A red cent
You say: I spent hours on that project and didn't get paid a red cent.
You mean: I spent hours on that project and wasn't paid any money at all - not even one cent.
9. Red-eye
You say: I'm taking the red eye to Japan.
You mean: My flight will leave late at night and I will arrive very early in the morning (Japan time).
10. Red ink
You say: There is too much red ink on our balance sheet.
You mean: We have too much debt.
11. Brown off
You say: He really browned me off yesterday.
You mean: He really irritated me (made me angry) yesterday.
12. Compare apples to oranges
You say: Let's not compare apples to oranges.
You mean: These two things are completely different. Let's not compare them.
13. To be yellow
You say: I didn't know he was so yellow.
You mean: I didn't know he was so cowardly.
14. Give the green light
You say: He gave us the green light to buy the equipment!
You mean: He gave us permission to buy the equipment! We are allowed to do it!
15. Good as gold
You say: My secretary is as good as gold.
You mean: My secretary is amazing; extremely valuable.
16. Have the rub of the green
You say: We have the rub of the green this year.
You mean: We are very lucky this year.
