Colour idioms
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black and white
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thinking of everything or judging everything in a simple way and seeing
it as either good or bad
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The situation isn't as black and white as it seems; it's much more
complicated.
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black out
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to darken by putting out the electric lights or covering over the windows
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Londoners had to black out their windows during the war so that the
enemy aircraft could not see the city.
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black out
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to lose consciousness
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He blacked out after standing up for three hours in the parade. First
aid staff attended to him.
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blue in the face
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to be very angry or upset; to be excited and very emotional
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She argued with her husband until she was blue in the face but he
wouldn't see her point of view.
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green
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to be inexperienced and/or immature
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He's a bit green - he still believes that someone is going to come
and help him out of his situation. He doesn't realise he has to do it
himself.
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the grass is always greener (on the other side)
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when a place that is far away or different seems better than the place
where we are now
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He must be crazy to leave the company; he's got a great job and a
great salary. He really should stay where he is but he can't see it -
the grass is always greener on the other side.
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green with envy
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to be very jealous and full of envy
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I was green with envy when I heard that she was going on holiday to
Spain for a week while I had to stay and work.
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in the red
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to have debts
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The company has been in the red for two years now. We now owe over
$500,000 to our suppliers and the bank.
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red tape
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excessive bureaucracy
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Many businesses complain about the amount of red tape that they must
deal with in former Eastern-bloc countries.
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out of the blue
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when something happens without a warning, by surprise
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His decision to leave the company came completely out of the blue.
No one expected it at all.
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