39 Collocations Related to Color

English365plus.com - Collocations about Topic Color

Picture this: You’re strolling down a vibrant, bustling street full of diverse people, shops, and most importantly, an array of colors. From the lush green trees to the azure sky, colors are a part of our everyday life. But have you ever thought about how the language we use often mirrors these colorful visuals? English, much like a painter’s palette, is filled with colorful expressions and collocations. By learning these, you will be able to paint more vivid pictures with your words, enriching your stories, conversations, and understanding of English. Want to add some color to your English?

Let’s dive into a palette of 39 popular color-related collocations!

1. White lie: A harmless or trivial lie told to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
Example: He told a white lie to keep her from worrying.

2. Black sheep: A member of a family or group who is regarded as a disgrace.
Example: He’s always been the black sheep of the family.

3. Green thumb: A natural talent for gardening.
Example: My grandmother has a green thumb. Her garden is always lush.

4. Red herring: Something that distracts attention from the real issue.
Example: The argument was a red herring to distract from the real issue.

5. Golden opportunity: A very good chance to do something.
Example: This job is a golden opportunity for me.

6. Pink slip: A notice of dismissal from employment.
Example: The company handed out pink slips due to budget cuts.

7. Yellow-bellied: Cowardly or easily scared.
Example: He’s too yellow-bellied to confront his boss.

8. Out of the blue: Unexpectedly.
Example: He showed up out of the blue after years of no contact.

9. Grey area: A situation where things are not clear or where the rules are not known.
Example: There’s a grey area between helping and meddling.

10. Green with envy: Very jealous or envious.
Example: She was green with envy when she saw his new car.

11. White elephant: A possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of.
Example: The old mansion has become a white elephant for the family.

12. Black and white: Clear and straightforward.
Example: The rules are black and white, and we should follow them.

13. Red tape: Excessive bureaucracy or adherence to official rules and formalities.
Example: We got stuck in the red tape of the legal system.

14. Green light: Permission to proceed with a project or action.
Example: We got the green light to start our project.

15. Blue collar: Referring to workers who do manual labor.
Example: Blue-collar workers were the backbone of the industrial revolution.

16. Golden age: A period of prosperity or excellent achievement.
Example: The 1920s was the golden age of jazz music.

17. Paint the town red: To go out and enjoy oneself flamboyantly.
Example: They went out to paint the town red for her birthday.

18. White as a sheet: Extremely pale because of fear, shock, illness, etc.
Example: After watching the horror movie, he was white as a sheet.

19. Yellow journalism: Journalism that is based on sensationalism and crude exaggeration.
Example: The newspaper was accused of yellow journalism.

20. In the red: Owning more money than you have.
Example: After buying a new house, he was in the red.

21. Tickled pink: Very pleased or amused.
Example: She was tickled pink when she got the promotion.

22. Green room: A room in a theater or studio where performers can relax when they are not performing.
Example: The actors waited in the green room before their performance.

23. Black market: An illegal traffic or trade in officially controlled or scarce commodities.
Example: He bought the tickets on the black market.

24. Blue blood: A person of noble or royal descent.
Example: As a blue blood, she was expected to uphold certain traditions.

25. Gray matter: Brains; intellect.
Example: It doesn’t take much gray matter to understand the concept.

26. Red-eye flight: A flight that departs late at night and arrives early in the morning.
Example: I took the red-eye flight to arrive early for the meeting.

27. Rose-colored glasses: An optimistic perception of something.
Example: He tends to see life through rose-colored glasses.

28. True colors: The kind of person someone really is rather than what the person seems to be.
Example: His true colors showed when he helped me in the crisis.

29. Red-letter day: A day that is pleasantly noteworthy or memorable.
Example: Her wedding was a red-letter day in her life.

30. Green belt: An area of open land around a city, where building is restricted.
Example: The city has a green belt to prevent overdevelopment.

31. Black tie: A formal evening dress code for men, typically a dark suit or a tuxedo.
Example: The event is black tie, so wear your best suit.

32. Blue chip: A corporation with a national reputation for quality, reliability, and the ability to operate profitably.
Example: He invested in blue chip companies for long-term benefits.

33. Red carpet treatment: To be treated with special importance or respect.
Example: The hotel gave us the red carpet treatment.

34. Green-eyed monster: Jealousy.
Example: The green-eyed monster can ruin relationships.

35. White-collar job: A job that is done in an office, rather than one that involves physical work.
Example: He transitioned from a blue-collar job to a white-collar job.

36. Golden handshake: A large amount of money given to a person when they leave their job.
Example: The CEO got a golden handshake when he retired.

37. Pink-collar job: A job that is traditionally considered to be women’s work.
Example: Nursing and teaching are considered pink-collar jobs.

38. Red-handed: In the act of doing something wrong.
Example: The thief was caught red-handed.

39. Color one’s judgment: To affect someone’s perspective or opinion.
Example: Don’t let your emotions color your judgment.

By mastering these color-related collocations, you’re not only adding vibrancy to your English language skills, but you’re also gaining a deeper understanding of how language reflects our world. So, go out there and paint your conversations with these colorful phrases!

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