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Red is the colour of royalty, while green symbolises harmony. This week, we will learn idioms connected to these two colours. Be in the red: have no money in one’s bank account; owe money to the bank. He has been in the red ever since he left his job to go into business for himself. A red-letter day: an important or joyful occasion which one looks forward to or remembers with pleasure. The day my brother graduated was a red-letter day for the whole family. Be on full/red alert: said of soldiers who know that a situation is dangerous and are prepared to act immediately, if necessary. The security forces in Kashmir were put on red alert following terrorist threats to disrupt peace. (Catch someone/be caught) red-handed: discover someone in the act of doing something secretive or criminal. The teacher caught the students red-handed cheating during an exam. Be/go/turn as red as a beetroot: go red in the face with embarrassment or anger. She turned as red as a beetroot when, at a party, a man asked her if she would dance with him. Red tape: official, bureaucratic formalities and procedures which slow down people and processes. Red tape often discourages foreign investors who wish to invest in India. See red: suddenly become very angry. When she misbehaved with her elder sister, her mother saw red and ordered her to apologise immediately. A green belt: an area of fields and woodlands around a town. Environmentalists are protesting the government’s decision to undertake construction work in the green belt. Give someone/get the green light: give/get approval or permission to start doing something. The managing committee of the school gave the librarian the green light to purchase more books. Green with envy: extremely envious of someone or something. When she heard that her colleague was going for a vacation to Switzerland, she turned green with envy. (Reference: Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms) |
