idioms with colours

Have you ever been caught red handed doing something illegal?
When was the last time you told a white lie?
What makes you go as red as a beetroot?
Have you ever given anyone a black eye?
When did you last feel off colour?

Are you unsure what these idioms mean? Then scroll down and learn a phrase or two.

Everything looks so much better in colour, do you agree? Even the English language is better with some colour. That’s why I’ve scraped together my favourite idioms and expressions with colours.

Before we begin, you may have seen the word ‘colour’ spelt as ‘color’. This is completely correct, British English spells it with a ‘u’ and American English without. Click here to find out more differences.

black idioms
black idioms - black and blue
black idioms - black and white
black idioms - black cloud hanging over one
black idioms - black eye
black idioms - black market
black idioms - black out
black idioms - black sheep of the family
black idioms - black tie
black idioms - blacklist
black idioms - blackmail someone
black idioms - in the black
black idioms - pitch black
black idioms - pot calling the kettle black
blue idioms
blue idioms - black and blue
blue idioms - blue-collar
blue idioms - blue-eyed boy
blue idioms - bolt from the blue
blue idioms - boys in blue
blue idioms - feel blue
blue idioms - once in a blue moon
blue idioms - out of the blue
blue idioms - scream blue murder
blue idioms - sing the blues
blue idioms - until one’s blue in the face
brown idioms
brown idioms - as brown as a berry
brown idioms - brown off
gold idioms
gold idioms - as good as gold
gold idioms - golden boy
gold idioms - golden handshake
gold idioms - golden opportunity
gold idioms - heart of gold
gold idioms - worth one’s weight in gold
green idioms
green espressions - give the green light
green phrases - grass is always greener on the other side
green sayings - green around the gills
green expressions - green with envy
green phrases - green
green idioms - greener pastures
green sayings - have green fingers
pink idioms
pink idioms - see pink elephants
pink idioms - tickled pink
red idioms
red idioms - as red as a beetroot
red idioms - catch red handed
red idioms - go red
red idioms - in the red
red idioms - paint the town red
red idioms - red herring
red idioms - red hot
red idioms - red tape
red idioms - red-letter day
red idioms - roll out the red carpet
red idioms - see red
eat idioms - acquired taste
bread expressions - know which side of one's bread is buttered
silver idioms
silver idioms - born with a silver spoon
silver idioms - silver fox
silver idioms - silver screen
silver idioms - silver surfer
colour idioms
colour idioms - colourful life
grey idioms - grey area
colour idioms - off colour
colour idioms - pass with flying colours
colour idioms - show one's true colours
colour idioms - shrinking violet
yellow idioms - yellow-bellied

Have a little listen to this song which is about ‘true colours’.

white idioms - as white as a sheet
white idioms - black and white
white idioms - wave the white flag
white idioms - white elephant
white idioms - white lie
white idioms - white-collar
white idioms - white-knuckle ride