American Accent Workshop

Get English, English English Today

Secret List of Teaching Jobs in Japan

Become a Personal ESL Trainer

WhiteSmoke - Write like an English Expert!

Advertise Here

Colorful Idioms

A lot of English idioms use colors to describe feelings.  Below are just a few examples.

Jessica was seeing red when her computer suddenly crashed.

When George brought home his expensive car, his neighbor Bill was green with envy.

After Susan’s boyfriend left her, she felt blue and cried all the time.

He was a yellow-bellied cowboy.  He always ran away from a fight. 

John asked Nancy to marry him.  He was tickled pink when she said yes.

 **

Using the sentences above as examples, try to match the idiom with its meaning 

Answers

1. To see red- d) very angry.
We probably use red to describe anger because people’s faces turn red when they are angry.  Imagine you became so angry your eyes became red, too.  Then you might begin to “see red.”

2.  Green with envy- a) wanting something someone else has.
I’m not sure why people are green when they are envious, but this is a very common saying.

3.  To feel blue- e) sad
You can also “be blue.”

4.  Yellow bellied- b) coward, not brave.
Belly means stomach.  If your belly is yellow, you are not brave.  This idiom isn’t used as much nowadays as it was in the past.

5.  Tickled pink- c) very happy.
When someone is tickled, he feels very excited and happy.  Perhaps your skin becomes pink when you feel happy.