3.2.1. Colour Idioms

1. Study These Idioms and their Meanings. Give their Ukrainian equivalents.

black and white - thinking of everything or judging everything as either good

or bad

black out - darken by putting out or dimming electric lights

black out - prevent or silence information or communication

black out - lose consciousness

blue in the face - very angry or upset, excited and very emotional

brown bag it - take a lunch to work

catch (someone) red-handed - catch someone in the middle of doing

something wrong

give someone the green light - give permission to go ahead with a project

grass is always greener on the other side - a place that is far away or different

seems better than where we are now

green - inexperienced, immature

1.1 Translate the sentences into Ukrainian paying attention to the use of the idioms.

1. He is rather green and doesn`t have enough experience to drive the large piece of machinery yet. 2. He realized that the grass is always greener on the other side when he saw that his new job wasn`t perfect and had its own problems too. 3. We were finally given the green light to begin setting up the new project. 4. The woman was caught red-handed at the store trying to steal some cosmetics. 5. I have had to brown bag it every day this week as the company cafeteria is closed for repair work. 6. He argued with her until he was blue in the face. 7. Suddenly the man blacked out during the parade and had to be helped to a quiet place. 8. The government decided to black out all of the information related to the political prisoner. 9. During the war people in the cities were forced to black out their windows so that the enemy aircraft could not see them. 10. He tries to see everything in black and white although he knows this is impossible.

1.2 Group work:

a) Student A makes up sentences with the idioms from (1); Student B translates them into Ukrainian;

b) Student C makes up sentences in Ukrainian using Ukrainian equivalents of the idioms from (1); Student D translates them into English;

c) Student E makes up a situation with the idioms from (1); Student F translates it into Ukrainian;

d) Student G makes up a situation in Ukrainian using Ukrainian equivalents of the idioms from (1); Student H translates them into English.

2. Study These Idioms and their Meanings. Give their Ukrainian equivalents.

green thumb - a talent for gardening, ability to make things grow

green with envy - very jealous, full of envy

horse of a different color - something totally separate and different

in the black - successful or profitable

in the red - lose money, unprofitable

look at (see) the world through rose-colored glasses - see only the good

things about something, be too optimistic

off-color - in bad taste, rude, dirty

once in a blue moon - rarely

out of the blue - without any warning, by surprise

paint the town red - go out and party and have a good time

2.1 Translate the sentences into Ukrainian paying attention to the use of the idioms.

1. She has a green thumb and is able to grow one of the best gardens in our neighborhood. 2. I don`t understand what is the matter. Right out of the blue he decided to quit his job and go and live in Europe. 3. We go out for Italian food once in a blue moon although we enjoy it very much. 4. When my cousin came to visit us we decided to go out and paint the town red. 5. He told an off-color joke at the party that made his wife very angry. 6. He always looks at the world through rose-colored glasses and is never able to understand that some people are dishonest. 7. The company has been in the red for three years now - ever since their exports to Asia decreased by 35 per cent. 8. The company has been in the black since they began to adopt many new ideas to cut costs. 9. I was green with envy when I heard that she would be going to London for a week while I had to stay and work. 10. I know that he would like to discuss that issue now but it is a horse of a different color and we should discuss it at another time.

2.2 Group work:

a) Student A makes up sentences with the idioms from (2); Student B translates them into Ukrainian;

b) Student C makes up sentences in Ukrainian using Ukrainian equivalents of the idioms from (2); Student D translates them into English;

c) Student E makes up a situation with the idioms from (2); Student F translates it into Ukrainian;

d) Student G makes up a situation in Ukrainian using Ukrainian equivalents of the idioms from (2); Student H translates them into English.

3. Study These Idioms and their Meanings. Give their Ukrainian equivalents.

pink slip - termination notice from a job

pot calling the kettle black - the person who is criticizing someone else is as

guilty as the person he accuses

red herring - something that draws attention away from the matter under

consideration

red-letter day - a day that is memorable because of some important event

red tape - excessive formalities in official business

roll out the red carpet - greet a person with great respect, give a big welcome

see red - become very angry

show one`s true colors - show what one is really like

tickled pink - be very pleased, thrill, delight

white elephant - a useless possession

white lie - a harmless lie (told to be polite or to do something not seriously

wrong)

white sale - the selling at a reduced price of towels or sheets etc.

with flying colors - with great or total success

yellow-bellied - extremely timid, cowardly

yellow streak - cowardice in one`s character

3.1 Translate the sentences into Ukrainian paying attention to the use of the idioms.

1. He has a yellow streak running down his back and is not a good person to expect to support you when things become difficult. 2. He is a yellow-bellied coward and never is willing to fight for what is right. 3. We went to the white sale at the department store in order to buy some new sheets before my parents come to visit. 4. She passed her course with flying colors and now wants to go out and celebrate. 5. I told my boss a white lie and said that I was sick yesterday when actually I wasn`t. 6. The new stereo that he bought is a white elephant and he doesn`t need it at all. 7. She was tickled pink that you made the effort to go and visit her when you were in town. 8. I know that she doesn`t like me but she was showing her true colors when she began yelling at me on the telephone. 9. I received my pink slip last week and am now looking for a new job. 10. She was criticizing me for not looking for a new job but that is like the pot calling the kettle black. She isn`t looking for a new job either. 11. Talking about the union`s last strike is a red herring and doesn`t do anything to deal with the problems that we are facing today. 12. Many businesses have been complaining about the amount of red tape that they must deal with in order to get anything done with the government. 13. It was a red-letter day when she finally received her graduation diploma. 14. When the King of Jordon visited Washington, they rolled out the red carpet and gave him a great welcome. 15. He really saw red last night when I told him that I wouldn`t be coming to work today.

3.2 Group work:

a) Student A makes up sentences with the idioms from (3); Student B translates them into Ukrainian;

b) Student C makes up sentences in Ukrainian using Ukrainian equivalents of the idioms from (3); Student D translates them into English;

c) Student E makes up a situation with the idioms from (3); Student F translates it into Ukrainian;

d) Student G makes up a situation in Ukrainian using Ukrainian equivalents of the idioms from (3); Student H translates them into English.

Check your knowledge of colour idioms

Choose an idiom at the bottom to replace the expression in the brackets below. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.