Video Quiz: The meaning of colour idioms (1) (inglés - english - b2 - colours - colores - frases hechas


The meaning of colour idioms (1)Online version Watch the video. For each question choose the correct answer containing the meaning for each colour idiom. You can go back to watch the video again if necessary. Once you finish, you can read the transcript below the answers. by Eva Blake 1 Why is Hilary so happy? Select one or more answers a Because a client gave her money earned illegally when buying a painting at the gallery. b Because a celebrity entered her art gallery in a completely unexpected manner. c Because she has a new glamorous job and she thinks people will be jealous of her. 2 What is he describing? Select one or more answers a How to have a healthy brain by working out and eating nutritious food. b The tissue of our brain, which controls our ideas and emotions. c He's describing a chronic brain illness as an extremely bad situation. 3 What does superagent Kim Possible want to know? Select one or more answers a Why the gangster is white as a sheet when smelling the chocolate bar. b Who is selling hyperactic acid illegally (in the black market). c What the truth is, instead of listening to the gangster's white lies. 4 What has happened in relation to blue-collar and white-collar workers? Select one or more answers a From 2020 to 2022 workers in jobs which require physical skill are getting paid more than workers in jobs which require mental effort. b Workers in jobs which require mental effort feel sad more frequently than workers in jobs which require physical skill. c Both types of workers owe money to the bank. They are in the red. 5 Since Reagan was 73 in the 1980 campaign, Mr Truitt asks if he would be able to function in situations such as the Cuba Missile Crisis. What does Reagan reply? Select one or more answers a He sees red because the journalist is not asking relevant questions. b He won't consider the topic of age an advantage for him, given that his opponent is young and green (in fact, he's 56). c Although he's 73, he's in the pink, as he works out with his opponent Mondale and his dog every day. 6 Where do the expressions "in the black" and "in the red" come from? Select one or more answers a From a time when accountants used paper and ink to write down financial movements: profits in black and losses in red. b From a time when employers used these two colours to draw diagrams representing the trends in their companies. c From a time when Americans used the colours of their flag to represent hope and desperation in novels. 7 How does the musician feel? Select one or more answers a She's happy because she has no debts and is able to afford a special spotlight called 'Souper Trouper'. b She normally feels sad when she's performing, but tonight she'll be happy because she knows that a special person is going to watch the show. c She sees red because people in the audience always ask her to sing the same boring song. 8 What has happened to her sister? Select one or more answers a Before she was ill all the time, but these days she's in a very good condition, both physically and psychologically. b Before she used her grey matter to study. Now she just hangs out with her friends and forgets about her obligations. c Before she was good at making their plants grow. But she doesn't care about them anymore. 9 How does she feel about parties? Select one or more answers a She loves empty conversations, as long as she can be near her crush. b Generally she doesn't like them, but from time to time she needs to have a good time. c She has given her friends permission to call her whenever they want to hang out. 10 We'll realize one day that... Select one or more answers a ... other people will have great success, while we can only be witnesses of it. b ... other people seem to be in a better situation than us, although they may not be. At the end of the day, everybody will live and die. c ... green is the new black at the moment. 11 What does "electric cars are the new black in the automobile industry" mean? Select one or more answers a A lot of people think that many electric cars have been bought in the black market. b Many people believe that electric cars are the new fashionable thing. c Some people think that it's unfair to be forced to buy electric cars in the coming years. 12 What does "white as a sheet" mean? Select one or more answers a A person has said something false about you in your presence. b A person is very pale, especially from shock. c A person works in an office. Explanation 1 'I have some exciting news about my job!' 'What is it?' 'Well i'm not gonna just tell you, that's no fun. Guess!' 'Did you sell a painting at the gallery?' 'No.' 'Did you get fired?' 'No, I quit.' 'What?' 'What?' 'You know, I was definitely the closest.' 'When I was a little girl, I always had this dream that when I grew up I'd have a glamorous job and a glamorous office, and I'd go to parties and people would ask me what I did and I'd tell them, and then I imagined them turning pea-green with envy and blurting out: 'You are so lucky!', and then walking away absolutely eaten up inside because I had a fabulous job and they didn't.' 2 Memories, emotions, decisions, ideas... All of us have minds filled to the very brim with these. Now, you may wonder 'What controls these ideas and emotions in us?' Our brain tissue, called gray matter. Gray matter is crucial in information processing, aiding us in memory, speech and decision making, thus enabling us to seek true knowledge of life admist its chaos. 3 "I was going to suggest you and my friend play thug." "Thug?" "I love that game." "And I love it when I find out what I need to know, like who's been in the market for hyperactic acid." "Miss, we have one rule in this establishment: client confidentiality." "Is that... milk chocolate?" "With chewy nougat." 4 This is Betty, a blue-collar worker who tends the counter at a fast food restaurant. And this is Wilma. She's a white-collar worker who writes computer code. Both make average salaries for those two groups. From 2010 to 2012, the salary for Wilma's position would have grown more than Betty's. But from 2020 to 2022, it was Betty that would get the bigger bump. Wage gains for some blue collar-workers have started to outpace gains for white-collar workers over the last three years, a reversal from a decades-long trend. 5 'Mr Truitt, your question to President Reagan.' 'Mr President, I want to raise an issue that I think has been lurking out there for two or three weeks and cast it specifically in National Security terms. You already are the oldest president in history, and some of your staff say you were tired after your most recent encounter with Mr Mondale. I recall yet that President Kennedy had to go for days on end with very little sleep during the Cuba Missile Crisis. Is there any doubt in your mind that you would be able to function in such circumstances.' 'Not at all, Mr Truitt and I, and I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience.' 6 When someone talks about their finances being “in the black” or “in the red,” that can be hard to understand if you aren’t familiar with U.S. idioms. So let us explain. The term comes from a time when accountants kept records with paper and ink. Monetary gains were written in black ink, while losses were written in red ink. Being “in the black” means making a profit, but being “in the red” means you’re losing money. In conversation, it can go something like this: Chloe tells her friend Max, “My company has made a profit before, but now we’re in the red.” And Max responds, “My company lost money the first few years, but now we’re making money and in the black.” This seems like Max is bragging though, and he should have just kept quiet. 7 I was sick and tired of everything / When I called you last night from Glasgow / All I do is eat and sleep and sing / Wishing every show was the last show (wishing every show was the last show) / So imagine I was glad to hear you're coming (glad to hear you're coming) / Suddenly I feel all right (and suddenly it's gonna be) / And it's gonna be so different when I'm on the stage tonight / Tonight the super trouper lights are gonna find me / Shining like the sun (super trouper) / Smiling, having fun (super trouper) / Feeling like a number one / Tonight the super trouper beams are gonna blind me (super trouper) / But I won't feel blue (super trouper) / Like I always do (super trouper) / 'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you. 8 'To be in the pink' means to be in a very good condition, both physically and emotionally. My sister used to be ill a lot, but now she's in the pink. 9 I don't like to go out / I don't like to dress up / Sick of all these parties / Sick of all this small talk / I hate all these long lines / Just to catch a fake vibe / Asking for your number / Like I'm gonna call ya / Sometimes my bad side / Gets the best of me oh oh oh / Sometimes a girl needs some fun / Cause once in a blue moon I do / Once in a blue moon I do / Once in a blue moon I... 10 And when you die they'll set you down and take you through / You'll realise one day / Ahhh / … That the grass is always greener on the other side / The neighbour's got a new car that you wanna drive / And when time is running out you wanna stay alive / … We all live under the same sky / We all will live, we all will die / There is no wrong, there is no right / The circle only has one side 11 Okay, let's look at another idiom, which is "the new black". Remember when I started off this video, I started saying something like "orange is the new black"? What do I mean by that? I basically mean that "the new black" is anything which is the new fashionable thing. Anything which is new in fashion becomes or is called "the new black". In a sentence I could say "electric cars are the new black in the automobile industry", right? A lot of people seem to think that electric cars are the next fashionable or the new fashionable thing because they are more sustainable, they are more environmentally friendly and therefore they are the new black or the new fashionable thing. 12 Okay, let's look at another idiom, which is "the new black". Remember when I started off this video, I started saying something like "orange is the new black"? What do I mean by that? I basically mean that "the new black" is anything which is the new fashionable thing. Anything which is new in fashion becomes or is called "the new black". In a sentence I could say "electric cars are the new black in the automobile industry", right? A lot of people seem to think that electric cars are the next fashionable or the new fashionable thing because they are more sustainable, they are more environmentally friendly and therefore they are the new black or the new fashionable thing.

1

Why is Hilary so happy?

Select one or more answers

a

Because a client gave her money earned illegally when buying a painting at the gallery.

b

Because a celebrity entered her art gallery in a completely unexpected manner.

c

Because she has a new glamorous job and she thinks people will be jealous of her.

2

What is he describing?

Select one or more answers

a

How to have a healthy brain by working out and eating nutritious food.

b

The tissue of our brain, which controls our ideas and emotions.

c

He's describing a chronic brain illness as an extremely bad situation.

3

What does superagent Kim Possible want to know?

Select one or more answers

a

Why the gangster is white as a sheet when smelling the chocolate bar.

b

Who is selling hyperactic acid illegally (in the black market).

c

What the truth is, instead of listening to the gangster's white lies.

4

What has happened in relation to blue-collar and white-collar workers?

Select one or more answers

a

From 2020 to 2022 workers in jobs which require physical skill are getting paid more than workers in jobs which require mental effort.

b

Workers in jobs which require mental effort feel sad more frequently than workers in jobs which require physical skill.

c

Both types of workers owe money to the bank. They are in the red.

5

Since Reagan was 73 in the 1980 campaign, Mr Truitt asks if he would be able to function in situations such as the Cuba Missile Crisis. What does Reagan reply?

Select one or more answers

a

He sees red because the journalist is not asking relevant questions.

b

He won't consider the topic of age an advantage for him, given that his opponent is young and green (in fact, he's 56).

c

Although he's 73, he's in the pink, as he works out with his opponent Mondale and his dog every day.

6

Where do the expressions "in the black" and "in the red" come from?

Select one or more answers

a

From a time when accountants used paper and ink to write down financial movements: profits in black and losses in red.

b

From a time when employers used these two colours to draw diagrams representing the trends in their companies.

c

From a time when Americans used the colours of their flag to represent hope and desperation in novels.

7

How does the musician feel?

Select one or more answers

a

She's happy because she has no debts and is able to afford a special spotlight called 'Souper Trouper'.

b

She normally feels sad when she's performing, but tonight she'll be happy because she knows that a special person is going to watch the show.

c

She sees red because people in the audience always ask her to sing the same boring song.

8

What has happened to her sister?

Select one or more answers

a

Before she was ill all the time, but these days she's in a very good condition, both physically and psychologically.

b

Before she used her grey matter to study. Now she just hangs out with her friends and forgets about her obligations.

c

Before she was good at making their plants grow. But she doesn't care about them anymore.

9

How does she feel about parties?

Select one or more answers

a

She loves empty conversations, as long as she can be near her crush.

b

Generally she doesn't like them, but from time to time she needs to have a good time.

c

She has given her friends permission to call her whenever they want to hang out.

10

We'll realize one day that...

Select one or more answers

a

... other people will have great success, while we can only be witnesses of it.

b

... other people seem to be in a better situation than us, although they may not be. At the end of the day, everybody will live and die.

c

... green is the new black at the moment.

11

What does "electric cars are the new black in the automobile industry" mean?

Select one or more answers

a

A lot of people think that many electric cars have been bought in the black market.

b

Many people believe that electric cars are the new fashionable thing.

c

Some people think that it's unfair to be forced to buy electric cars in the coming years.

12

What does "white as a sheet" mean?

Select one or more answers

a

A person has said something false about you in your presence.

b

A person is very pale, especially from shock.

c

A person works in an office.

Explanation

1

'I have some exciting news about my job!' 'What is it?' 'Well i'm not gonna just tell you, that's no fun. Guess!' 'Did you sell a painting at the gallery?' 'No.' 'Did you get fired?' 'No, I quit.' 'What?' 'What?' 'You know, I was definitely the closest.' 'When I was a little girl, I always had this dream that when I grew up I'd have a glamorous job and a glamorous office, and I'd go to parties and people would ask me what I did and I'd tell them, and then I imagined them turning pea-green with envy and blurting out: 'You are so lucky!', and then walking away absolutely eaten up inside because I had a fabulous job and they didn't.'

2

Memories, emotions, decisions, ideas... All of us have minds filled to the very brim with these. Now, you may wonder 'What controls these ideas and emotions in us?' Our brain tissue, called gray matter. Gray matter is crucial in information processing, aiding us in memory, speech and decision making, thus enabling us to seek true knowledge of life admist its chaos.

3

"I was going to suggest you and my friend play thug." "Thug?" "I love that game." "And I love it when I find out what I need to know, like who's been in the market for hyperactic acid." "Miss, we have one rule in this establishment: client confidentiality." "Is that... milk chocolate?" "With chewy nougat."

4

This is Betty, a blue-collar worker who tends the counter at a fast food restaurant. And this is Wilma. She's a white-collar worker who writes computer code. Both make average salaries for those two groups. From 2010 to 2012, the salary for Wilma's position would have grown more than Betty's. But from 2020 to 2022, it was Betty that would get the bigger bump. Wage gains for some blue collar-workers have started to outpace gains for white-collar workers over the last three years, a reversal from a decades-long trend.

5

'Mr Truitt, your question to President Reagan.' 'Mr President, I want to raise an issue that I think has been lurking out there for two or three weeks and cast it specifically in National Security terms. You already are the oldest president in history, and some of your staff say you were tired after your most recent encounter with Mr Mondale. I recall yet that President Kennedy had to go for days on end with very little sleep during the Cuba Missile Crisis. Is there any doubt in your mind that you would be able to function in such circumstances.' 'Not at all, Mr Truitt and I, and I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience.'

6

When someone talks about their finances being “in the black” or “in the red,” that can be hard to understand if you aren’t familiar with U.S. idioms. So let us explain. The term comes from a time when accountants kept records with paper and ink. Monetary gains were written in black ink, while losses were written in red ink. Being “in the black” means making a profit, but being “in the red” means you’re losing money. In conversation, it can go something like this: Chloe tells her friend Max, “My company has made a profit before, but now we’re in the red.” And Max responds, “My company lost money the first few years, but now we’re making money and in the black.” This seems like Max is bragging though, and he should have just kept quiet.

7

I was sick and tired of everything / When I called you last night from Glasgow / All I do is eat and sleep and sing / Wishing every show was the last show (wishing every show was the last show) / So imagine I was glad to hear you're coming (glad to hear you're coming) / Suddenly I feel all right (and suddenly it's gonna be) / And it's gonna be so different when I'm on the stage tonight / Tonight the super trouper lights are gonna find me / Shining like the sun (super trouper) / Smiling, having fun (super trouper) / Feeling like a number one / Tonight the super trouper beams are gonna blind me (super trouper) / But I won't feel blue (super trouper) / Like I always do (super trouper) / 'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you.

8

'To be in the pink' means to be in a very good condition, both physically and emotionally. My sister used to be ill a lot, but now she's in the pink.

9

I don't like to go out / I don't like to dress up / Sick of all these parties / Sick of all this small talk / I hate all these long lines / Just to catch a fake vibe / Asking for your number / Like I'm gonna call ya / Sometimes my bad side / Gets the best of me oh oh oh / Sometimes a girl needs some fun / Cause once in a blue moon I do / Once in a blue moon I do / Once in a blue moon I...

10

And when you die they'll set you down and take you through / You'll realise one day / Ahhh / … That the grass is always greener on the other side / The neighbour's got a new car that you wanna drive / And when time is running out you wanna stay alive / … We all live under the same sky / We all will live, we all will die / There is no wrong, there is no right / The circle only has one side

11

Okay, let's look at another idiom, which is "the new black". Remember when I started off this video, I started saying something like "orange is the new black"? What do I mean by that? I basically mean that "the new black" is anything which is the new fashionable thing. Anything which is new in fashion becomes or is called "the new black". In a sentence I could say "electric cars are the new black in the automobile industry", right? A lot of people seem to think that electric cars are the next fashionable or the new fashionable thing because they are more sustainable, they are more environmentally friendly and therefore they are the new black or the new fashionable thing.

12

Okay, let's look at another idiom, which is "the new black". Remember when I started off this video, I started saying something like "orange is the new black"? What do I mean by that? I basically mean that "the new black" is anything which is the new fashionable thing. Anything which is new in fashion becomes or is called "the new black". In a sentence I could say "electric cars are the new black in the automobile industry", right? A lot of people seem to think that electric cars are the next fashionable or the new fashionable thing because they are more sustainable, they are more environmentally friendly and therefore they are the new black or the new fashionable thing.

The meaning of colour idioms (1)

Video Quiz

Download the paper version to play

Created by

Top 10 results

Top Games

Video Quiz

Watch the video and answer the questions!

Video Quiz

Why do cats "knead"?

Video Quiz

History of Dutch's cycle paths

Video Quiz

Watch the following video and answer questions.

Video Quiz

Music genres