Make your speech colourful in English!

Today’s English
May 31st, 2017

1. Black.  -  Be in the black (be successful/profitable, especially in business)

A. How is your business going on? It’s always in the black.
B. I’m sure, this project will be in the black.

2. White – as white as a sheet (becoming pale due to fear, shock or illness)

A. Just two days fever made him as white as a sheet.
B. What’s wrong with you? Why are you as white as a sheet?

3. Blue – clear blue water (a complete difference/separation between )

A. There is clear blue water between what you mean and what I say. (Difference)
B. Are they couples? Yes, but there is clear blue water between them. (Separation)

4. Red – roll out the red carpet for someone (to give a guest special treatment)

A. Director is visiting our college next week. Let’s roll out the red carpet for him.
B. Wherever the minister went, people rolled out the red carpet for him.

5. Green – go green on somebody (to get angry at someone)

A. Why do you go green on me?
B. His very presence makes me go green on him.

6. Yellow – yellow brick road (a path believed to lead to success)

A. Study this course and it will prove to be a yellow brick road.
B. Getting into this job will take you to the yellow brick road.

7. Brown – to brown-nose somebody (to please a person in authority in a way that others may not like)

A. I never brown-nose my HOD.
B. Stop brown-nosing me! Work sincerely and you will be in my good book.

8. Violet – a shrinking violet (a very shy person)
A. Don’t be a shrinking violet when you have to express your views.
B. She is a shrinking violet that’s what I like in her most.

9. To be colourless= to be without a personality

A. I don’t like him. He's dull and colourless.
B. A person who is colourless cannot be suitable for this job.

10. To show one’s true colours = to reveal one’s true nature.
A. His contribution to donation showed his true colours.
B. She behaved as if she knows everything. But her very speech showed her true colours.

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most.
- John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice