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English idioms relating to
COLOURS
  Black mood   To be in a black mood means to be irritable, angry or even depressed.
  Also :   to be in a bad mood.
  In the black   To say that a person or organization is in the black means that they
  are financially sound, have a positive balance on their account and that
  they owe no money.
  Black and white   To say that something is in black and white means that there is
  written proof of it.
  "It's an obligation.  It's written in black and white in your contract."
  Black market   The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling of goods or
  currencies.
  Black sheep   The black sheep of the family is one who is very different from the
  others, and least respected by the other members of the family.
  Black gold   Black gold refers to the black colour and high value of oil.
  Black tie event   This expression refers to a formal event at which men are required to wear
  a dinner jacket, or tuxedo, and a black bow tie.
  "I need to know if it's going to be a casual get-together or a black tie event."
  Blue chip company   This term refers to a company with a solid reputation for the quality of
  its products and the stability of its growth and earnings.
  "It's usually safe to invest in a blue-chip company.
  Blue in the face   If you do something until you're blue in the face, you try
  unsuccessfully to do something for a very long time.
  "I explained the situation until I was blue in the face but she wouldn't
  change her mind."
  Blue-eyed boy   A blue-eyed boy is somebody's favourite e.g. he's the director's
  blue-eyed boy!
  Out of the blue   If something happens out of the blue, it happens unexpectedly.
  Brown as a berry   To say that someone is brown as a berry means that they are very
  tanned.
  Browned off   To be browned off means to be bored, fed up or disheartened.
  e.g.  Tom is browned off with his job.
  Golden handshake   A golden handshake is a generous sum of money given to a person
  when they leave a company or retire (sometimes given to encourage
  early retirement).
  Golden opportunity   A golden opportunity is a favourable time or excellent occasion
  which should not be missed.
  Green fingers   To have green fingers means to be good at gardening.
  Green light   If you give or get the green light, you give or get a signal or
  permission to do something.
  "We're ready to launch the campaign as soon as we get the green light."
  Green with envy   Someone who is green with envy is a person who is very envious.
  Grey area   To refer to something as a grey area means that it is not clear or easy
  to define, and is therefore difficult to deal with.
  "The law concerning email is still a grey area in some countries."
  Grey matter  (US : gray)   Grey matter refers to the brain, or the grey colour of brain tissue.
  Grey existence   To have a grey existence is to lead a dull, monotonous life.
  Pink elephants   This term refers to hallucinations or strange imaginary things seen by
  people as a result of heavy drinking or the use of narcotics.
  "No more drinks for me please, otherwise I'll be seeing pink  elephants!"
  In the pink of health   If you are in the pink of health, you are in excellent physical
  condition or extremely healthy.
  "Caroline looked in the pink of health after her holiday."
  Tickled pink   To say that someone is tickled pink means that they are extremely
  amused or pleased.
  To see red   A person who sees red becomes very angry or annoyed.
  To be in the red   If a person or organization is in the red, they owe money or have a
  negative account.
  Paint the town red   If you paint the town red, you go out and enjoy a lively evening in
  bars, night-clubs, etc.
  "To celebrate the victory, the team's supporters painted the town red."
  Roll out the red carpet   To roll out the red carpet means to give special treatment to an
  important or honoured visitor.
  Like a red flag to a bull   To say that a statement or action is like a red flag to a bull means
  that it is sure to make someone very angry or upset.
  "Don't mention Tom's promotion to Mike.  It would be like a red flag
  to a bull!"
  Catch someone red-handed   If a person is caught red-handed, they are caught while they are
  doing something wrong or illegal.
  Red herring   A red herring refers to a fact or argument introduced into a discussion
  which draws attention away from the main point.
  "Look, bureaucracy is a red herring.  How to deal with the oil crisis is
  the important issue today."
  See red   If someone sees red, they suddenly become very angry or annoyed
  about something.
  "Discrimination of any kind makes me see red!"
  Red tape   The term red tape refers to official rules and bureaucratic paperwork
  that prevent things from being done quickly.
  "If there wasn't so much red tape, the company would be up and
  running already."
  Silver lining   A silver lining refers to the good or pleasant side-effects of an
  unpleasant  situation.
  Every cloud has a silver lining is a proverb which means that
  there is a positive or hopeful side to every unpleasant situation.
  Silver spoon   To say that someone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth
  means that their family is very rich and privileged.
  White Christmas   A white Christmas is when it snows at Christmas and the ground is
  white.
  "We haven't had a white Christmas in twenty years."
  White as a ghost/white as a sheet   A person who is as white as ghost looks very pale and frightened.
 


 

 

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