1. Black and blue. Meaning: bruised and beaten.
   • Example:
     • “We found the poor guy black and blue on the street.”
2. Black out. Meaning: faint.
   • Example:
     • “Lina blacks out every time we do the flag ceremony.”
3. Black sheep. Meaning:  the odd or outcast, especially of a family.
   • Example:
     • “My youngest sister was the black  sheep in our family. She dropped out of school when she was twelve years old.”
4. (Catch somebody/be caught) red-handed. Meaning: caught in the act of doing something illegal or wrong.
   • Example:
     • “Sophie was caught red handed stealing chocolate bars at the supermarket.”
5. Red-letter day. Meaning: something special happens to you.
   • Example:
     • “It was a red-letter day for me when I received my master’s degree.”
6. See red. Meaning: be very angry.
   • Example:
     • “The teacher saw red when she caught her students cheating on the examination.”
7. Green light. Meaning: give permission to do something.
   • Example:
     • “The project got the green light, so we can start tomorrow.”
8. Green with envy. Meaning: very jealous.
   • Example:
     • “Rika is green with envy over Jessica’s new shoes.”
9. Green fingers (British) or green thumb (American). Meaning: be a good gardener.
   • Example:
     • “You can see from her flowers in the garden that Julia has a green thumb.”
10. Once in the blue moon. Meaning: very rarely.
    • Example:
      • “We can go to Bali for free just once in a blue moon.”
11. Feeling blue. Meaning: unhappy, sad, depressed.
    • Example:
      • “Are you feeling blue because of the problem in your family?”
12. Out of the blue. Meaning: suddenly, unexpectedly.
    • Example:
      • “Her decision to get married came out of the blue.”
13. As white as a sheet. Meaning: very pale because of shocked, fear, illness. ‪
    • Example:
      • “Bella was as white as a sheet because of the illness she had suffered for months.”
14. White elephant. Meaning: a useless, an unwanted possession that often costs money to maintain.
    • Example:
      • “Your car is a white elephant as it often breaks down and causes you too much expenditure.”
15. White flag. Meaning: surrender, give up.
    • Example:
      • “The pirates raised a white flag after the warning from the navy.”
16. Yellow streak. Meaning: coward, craven.
    • Example:
      • “My brother is a yellow streak that he can’t defend himself when he’s beaten up by the seniors.”
17. In the pink. Meaning: in very good health.
    • Example:
      • “I’ve been in the pink since I started going to the gym.”
18. Brown off. Meaning: fed up, sick and tired of.
    • Example:
      • “I’m just thoroughly browned off with his attitude.”
19. Grey cells. Meaning: brain.
    • Example:
      • “Use your grey cell to do the examination.”
20. Born in the purple. Meaning: someone who is born in a royal family.
    • Example:
      • “William was born in the purple.”
21. Silver lining. Meaning: good message behind thing (hikmah).
    • Example:
      • “Every cloud has a silver lining.” – @malasyahbani
22. Whitewash. Meaning: to cover up crimes.
    • Example:
      • “She whitewashed her brother by telling wrong info to the police.” – @malasyahbani

Compiled and written by @fabfebby at @EnglishTips4U on Saturday, July 14, 2012

Related post(s):

• #IOTW: Idioms with red colour
• #EngTrivia: Color’s meaning 
• #EngVocab: Extant, extent, and extend
• #EngVocab: Driving phrasal verbs
• #EngVocab: Filler words

^MQ