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Vocabulary: colours (2)
"REAL" COLOURS...
Blue, red and yellow are "primary colours" that can be mixed (thus giving secondary colours). If you insist on one colour or on another one, you'll get different hues that can be more or less bright... and more or less pleasant to look at.
A) BLUE: (BLUE + YELLOW= GREEN)/ (BLUE + RED= VIOLET)
To turn blue | To turn green |
To turn yellow | To turn brown |
* Vocabulary and Idioms:
out of the blue... | once in a blue moon... |
I'm feeling blue... | to be black and blue |
to have to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea... | to have blue blood |
to be blue in the face | a blue ribbon |
a blue steak= uncooked | a blue collar worker |
She's feeling blue A blue ribbon
To be blue in the face
In politics:
- To be blue (United Kingdom) = in the Conservative party
- the blue States (USA) = held by Democrats
- the Blues = soldiers belonging to the Union (North) during the Civil War.
B) RED: (RED + YELLOW= ORANGE)/ (RED + BLUE= VIOLET)
To redden | to blush/ go red |
To go pink | to grow/ turn pink |
ginger | red/ auburn |
To be in the red A red carpet
To be caught red-handed
* Vocabulary and Idioms:
To turn beet-red | blood-red |
To catch red-handed | To be in the red |
To be like a red rag/ like a bull | a red card |
Crimson | scarlet |
Purple/ violet | mauve |
A red-carpet treatment | red cells |
A red-letter day | Little Red Riding Hood |
A red-eye flight | Code red |
To see red | a redneck |
C) YELLOW: (YELLOW + BLUE= GREEN) (YELLOW + RED= ORANGE)
Light yellow/ pale yellow | Dark green |
Canary yellow | Lemon yellow |
* Some necessary vocabulary to be able to speak about "colours"...
Deep + colour | olive-green |
Bright/ vivid + colour | strong colour |
Dull | plain |
Colourless | gaudy/ garish/ loud |
Drab | speckled |
To match | = to go with |
To clash | to colour |
Colouring | a shade |
A tint/ a hue | pigment |
To dye ['dai ] | a dye |
To run | to fade |
Faded | bleach |
To bleach | yellowish |
*** the suffix -ish ; greenish; reddish...
* A few words of extra vocabulary and idioms:
To highlight in yellow | The yellow press |
To be yellow bellied | => to be cowardly |
Code Y= code yellow= urinary | "accidents" in hospitals or schools |
"SECONDARY" COLOURS, are created by mixing primary colours. They can also be enriched by mixing them too:
BLUE+ GREEN= TURQUOISE BLUE+ VIOLET= INDIGO RED+ VIOLET= PURPLE RED+ ORANGE= VERMILION
Yes, you're right, there are many, many words and expressions using colours. I'm sure you'll use them and "mix them" pleasantly... I give you the FORCE.
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