ENGLISH
black and blue - bruised and beaten
black and white - straight forward; very clear
to black out - to faint
black sheep - the odd or bad member of the group or familygri
in the black - successful or profitable
black market - the area where illegal things such as drugs and guns are bought and sold
as black as coal - to be very black
a black tie event - a formal event or party that men are expected to wear a black suit with a tie
FRENCH
avoir des idées noires - to feel very sad (lit. to have black ideas)
broyer du noir - to be very pessimistic (lit. to grind some black)
se mettre dans une colère noire - a big fit of anger (lit. a black fit of anger)
dire blanc et noir - not to decide who to support (lit. to say white and black)
dire tantôt blanc, tantôt noir - to say something and its contrary at the same time (lit. to sometimes say white and some other time say black)
être dans le noir total - to not understand anything at a situation (lit. to be in pitch black)
être d’humeur noire - to feel gloomy (lit. to be in a black mood)
l’or noir - in reference to the oil that represents a source of wealth (lit. the black oil)
noir comme du charbon - very black (lit. black as charcoal)
noir sur blanc - written clearly (lit. black on white)
peindre une situation en noir - to be excessively pessimistic about a situation (lit. to paint a situation in black)
peste noire - the Black Plague that spread over Europe between 1347 and 1352
s’enfoncer dans le noir - to feel gloomy (lit. to sink into blackness)
travailler au noir - a moonlighter, to work illegally (to black work)
un endroit noir de monde - a place full of people (lit. a place black with people)
un petit noir - a cup of coffee (lit. a small black)rouge
vie mêlée de blanc et de noir - a life full of extremes (lit. a life mixed with white and black)
voir tout en noir - to be very pessimistic (lit. to see everything in black)
être noir - to be black (i.e. drunk)
un film noir - an atmospherically suspenseful cinema (lit. a black film)
noir comme un four - very dark black (lit. black as an oven)
bête noire - a person’s least favorite thing/a harmful thing/anathema (lit. black beast)
œil au beurre noir - bruised eye (lit. black butter eye)
LITHUANIAN
juodi pinigai - unfairly earned money (lit. black money)
juodas darbas - to work very hard (lit. a black labour)
SWEDISH
svartsjuka - jealousy (lit. black disease)
CZECH
lidí až černo - black with people (i.e. very crowded)
černé na bílém - it's an undeniable fact (lit. black on white)
naplatí se, až zčerná - he’ll pay until he turns black (i.e. he’ll be paying through the nose)
zavřít někoho, až zčerná - lock away for a very long prison sentence ( i.e. until he turns black)
ESTONIAN
riided on mustad - clothes are dirty (lit. clothes are black)
SLOVAK
na čierno - illegally, i.e. riding a bus without a bus ticket (lit. on the black)
SCOTTISH GAELIC
dubh - the pupil of the eye (lit. black)
dubhfhacal - a riddle or parable (lit. a black saying)
SERBO-CROATIAN
crni dani - hard times (lit. black days)
crna zemlja - burying ground (lit. black soil)
Čija majka crnu vunu prede? - who is in grave danger? (lit. whose mother spins black wool?)
voda sve opere do crna obraza - if you lose your honour it's lost forever (lit. water can wash everything but a black cheek)
crna ovca - black sheep
SWEDISH
svartsjuk - jealousy (lit. black disease)
IRISH
bheith dubh dóite - to be bored (lit. to be black-burnt)
bheith dubh le daoine - to be black with people (lit. to be crowded, packed)
scamall dubh - depression (lit. black cloud)
galar dubh - depression (lit. black disease)
fear dubh - the devil (lit. black man)
POLISH
czarna rozpacz - a state of great despair (lit. black despair)
czarna ospa - smallpox (lit. black pox)
odkładać na czarna godzinę - to save for later/for a rainy day (lit. to put away for a black hour)
czarno coś widzieć - to be pessimistic (lit. to be black about something)
czarny - a villain (lit. a black character)
mala czarna - an espresso or a little black dress (lit. a small black)
czarno coś widzieć - to be pessimistic (lit. to see something in black)
czarno księżnik - a wizard (lit. a black moon person)
TURKISH
ak akçe kara gün içindir - hard-earned money saved for when it is needed (lit. white coin is for a black day)
kara haber - bad news (lit. black news)
kara gün - a day when something bad happens (lit. a black day)
gözükara - rash, excessively brave, berserk (lit. black-eyed)
kara cahil - one who knows nothing (lit. black ignorant)
kara sevda - infatuation (lit. black love)
bahtı kara - someone who is very unlucky (lit. black destiny)
kara gün dostu - true friend (lit. black day friend)
kara kara düşünmek - to brood (lit. think black black)
NORWEGIAN
å svartmale - to portray a situation negatively (lit. to paint black)
svarte ta deg - go to hell (lit. the black take you)
svarteper - refers to a card game (Blackjack). If you are left with svarteper, it means that you got the short straw.
sort får (å være familiens sorte får) - describes an odd or disreputable member of a group/family (black sheep of the family)
det svarte marked - black market
DANISH
sortseer - someone who gets TV/radio reception without paying government fees; also a pessimist (lit. a black viewer)
sorte penge - money earned without paying income tax (lit. black money)
DUTCH
zwartmaken - to defame someone (lit. to make someone black)
zwartkijken - to watch TV without paying for it (lit. to watch black)
op zwart zaad zitten - to be broke (lit. to sit on black seed)
zwartrijden - riding on transport without paying (lit. black riding)
het zag er zwart van de mensen - it looked crowded/packed with people (lit. it looked black with people)
Iets zwart op wit zetten - to put something in writing (lit. to put something down black on white)
liegen dat je zwart ziet - lying so much that there's no truth left in your story (lit. lying until you look black)
zwarte sneeuw zien - to live in poverty (lit. to see black snow)
Zwartepieten - to decide who gets the blame (lit. to black Peter)
GERMAN
warten bis man schwarz wird - to wait a very long time (lit. to wait until you become black)
Schwarzfahren - to not pay the fare for a ride (lit. black riding)
schwarze Liste - a list of undesirable/bad people/things (lit. black list)
schwarz sehen - to be pessimistic (lit. to see black)
sich schwarz ärgern - to be very angry (to be angry black)
etwas schwarz malen - to have a pessimistic outlook (lit. to paint something black)
ins Schwarze treffen - to hit something very precisely (lit. to hit the black)
schwarz wie die Nacht sein - very dark black (lit. black as night)
jemandem den schwarzen Peter zuschieben - to pass an unpleasant responsibility onto someone else (lit. to pass the black Peter to someone)
eine schwarze Seele haben - to be evil (lit. to have a black soul)
PORTUGUESE
a coisa está preta! - the situation is hard to deal with (lit. the thing is black)
ROMANIAN
a fi negru de supărare- to sulk, to be visibly angry (lit. to be black with anger)
scrie negru pe alb - it is clearly written, established, fixed (lit. it is written black on white)
n-o fi dracul atât de negru - things are not that bad (lit. the devil's not that black)
a fi negru în cerul gurii - to be cruel (lit. to have a black palate)
mizerie neagră - dire poverty (lit. black misery)
inimă neagră- a spade (in playing cards) (lit. a black heart)
bubă-neagră - anthrax (lit. a black ulcer)
a fi negru la suflet - to be evil (lit. to be black in the soul)
pădure neagră - a deep, dark forest (lit. a black forest)
în negru - in mourning (lit. in black)
cât negru sub unghile - only a little bit, almost nothing (lit. as much as black under the fingernail)
a vedea totul în negru- to be pessimistic (lit. to see everything in black)
a face zile negre - to bother, irritate (lit. to make black days for someone)
pâine neagră - brown bread (lit. black bread)
bani negri - money gained dishonestly (black money)
FINNISH
mustamaalata - to defame someone (lit. to black-paint)
mustasukkainen - jealous (lit. black-socked)
muuttua mustaksi - to become angry (lit. to turn black)
SPANISH
pasarlas negras - to have a tough time of it (lit. to pass the blacks)
verse negro - to be in a jam (lit. to see black)
pagar en negro - to pay without filing tax information with the government (lit. to pay in black)
cine negro - an atmospheric, suspenseful cinema (lit. black cinema)
ITALIAN
cronaca nera - crime news (lit. black column)
bestia nera - a person’s least favourite thing, a harmful thing (lit. black beast)
cuore nero - cruelty (lit. black heart)
periodo nero - period of bad times and trouble (lit. black period)
umor nero - grumpiness, pessimism (lit. black mood)
fame nera - extreme hunger (lit. black hunger)
vedere tutto nero - to be pessimistic (lit. to see everything black)
fare un quadro nero della situazione - to portray something negatively or pessimistically (lit. to make a black picture of the situation)
fare nero qualcuno - to hurt someone very badly (lit. to make someone black)
conti neri - secret or unlawful accounts (lit. black accounts)
nero come la pece - very dark black (lit. black as pitch)
pensieri neri - gloomy thoughts (lit. black thoughts)
anima nera - a villain (lit. a black soul)
oro nero - oil or petroleum (lit. black gold)
vino nero - red wine (lit. black wine)
ENGLISH
a white lie - an innocent lie to protect another person's feelings
white feather - a display of cowardice
white elephant - a useless possession
as white as a sheet - in a state of great fear
a white-collar worker - a professional or office worker
whiter than white - innocent, pure and virtuous
to wave a white flag - to show that you’ve lost (a game, challenge or war) and that you give up
as white as a ghost - being very pale (said of a person’s face)
FRENCH
un blanc - a silence period in conversation (lit. a white)
passer une nuit blanche - to have a sleepless night (lit. to spend a white night)
blanc comme neige - innocent (lit. white as snow)
blanc-bec - an inexperienced but pretentious person (lit. white beak)
blanchissement d'argent - money laundering (lit. money whitening)
faire chou blanc - to fail, despite your best efforts (lit. to make white cabbage)
blanchissage - a shutout in a sports game - e.g. a hockey goalie not allowing a goal (lit. a whitening)
avoir un blanc - to forget something (e.g. a name) you usually know (lit. to have a white)
avoir un examen blanc - to take a practice/mock exam (lit. to have a white exam)
tirer à blanc - to shoot blanks (lit. to fire with white)
une oie blanche - a naive, silly girl (lit. a white goose)
cousu de fil blan - obviously fake (lit. sewn with white thread)
arme blanch - a weapon with a blade, such as a knife (lit. a white weapon)
fixer dans le blanc des yeux - to look at someone with defiance (lit. to stare at the whites of the eyes)
marquer un jour d'une pierre blanche - to designate a day as one to be remembered (lit. to mark the day with a white stone)
blanc sur rouge, rien ne bouge, rouge sur blanc, tout fout le camp - if you drink white wine after red wine you won't be sick; the other way around makes you sick white after red, nothing "moves"; (lit. red after white, everything falls apart)
un mariage blanc - a white marriage (i.e. a marriage of convenience)
arme blanche - a knife or a weapon with a blade white weapon
blanchir sous le harnais - to gain experience (lit. to whiten oneself under the harness)
bulletin blanc - a blank ballot (lit. white bulletin)
chauffé à blanc - to be very angry (lit. white heated)
col blanc - a white collar, an office worker (lit. white collar)
colère blanche - a big fit of anger (lit. white fit of anger)
coupe à blanc - the entire felling of a forest (lit. white cut)
coupe à blanc-estoc - the entire felling of a forest (lit. white thrust)
coupe blanche - the entire felling of a forest (lit. white cut)
de but en blanc - without any preparation (lit. from the aim to the white)
de la blanche - heroine (lit. some white)
dire tantôt blanc, tantôt noir - to say something and its contrary at the same time (lit. to sometimes say white and some other time say black)
donner un blanc seing - to give one’s agreement without any limits (lit. to give one’s white signature)
eléphant blanc - a financial abyss or an excessive project (lit. a white elephant)
laisser en blanc - without anything written, to leave a blank space
être blanc - to have grey hair (lit. to be white)
faire chou blanc - to fail (lit. to make a white cabbage)
hisser le drapeau blanc - to capitulate (lit. to hoist the white flag)
histoire cousue de fil blanc - a story that is obviously a lie (lit. a story sewn with white thread)
les blouses blanches - the medical staff in a hospital (lit. the white blouses)
l’un dit blanc, l’autre noir - one says one thing the other says the contrary (lit. one says white the other says black)
magie blanche - a kind of magic that is good (lit. white magic)
manger son pain blanc en premier - to start with the easiest thing to do (lit. to eat oneself’s white bread first)
noir sur blanc - stated clearly (lit. black on white)
or blanc - in reference to the snow that represents a source of wealth (lit. the white gold)
passer du blanc au noir - to change one’s mind (lit. to go from white to black)
peur blanche - a big fright (lit. a white scare)
russe blanc - a pro- czar Russian (lit. a white Russian)
saigner à blanc - to exploit something until there’s nothing left (lit. to bleed white)
un p’tit blanc - a glass of gin or a glass of white wine (lit. a small white)
voix blanche - a toneless voice (lit. a white voice)
vote blanc - an abstention vote (lit. a white vote)
fixer quelqu’un dans le blanc des yeux - to stare at someone with intensity (lit. to stare into someone’s white part of the eye)
SPANISH
pasar una noche en blanco - to have a sleepless night (lit. to spend a night in white)
decir que lo blanco es negro - to speak something untrue (lit. to say that white is black)
poner los ojos en blanco - to roll your eyes in disbelief/disapproval (lit. to put the eyes in white)
poner la mente en blanco - to clear your mind of thoughts (lit. to put your mind in white)
blanquear dinero - to launder money (lit. to whiten money)
mas blanco que la leche - very white (lit. whiter than milk)
quedarse en blanco - to forget something you should remember (lit. to stay in white)
votar en blanco - to return a blank ballot (lit. to vote in white)
tirar al blanco - to shoot at the target (lit. to shoot at the white)
estar sin blanca - to be broke (lit. to be without white)
tener carta blanca - to have full authorisation or permission (lit. to have white card)
cachetada con guante blanco - responding to aggression in an elegant and non-violent manner (lit. a slap in the face with a white glove)
un mirlo blanco - a rare thing (lit. a white blackbird)
trata de blancas - human trafficking (lit. the trade of whites)
no distinguir lo blanco de lo negro - to not understand right from wrong (lit. to not distinguish white from black)
ITALIAN
pesce/carne in bianco - plain fish/meat (lit. fish/meat in white)
mangiare in bianco - to eat without condiments (lit. to eat in white)
vedere bianco per nero - to be deceived (lit. to see white for black)
passare una notte in bianco - to have a sleepless night (lit. to pass a night in white)
avere carta bianca - to have full authorisation to do what you want (lit. to have white card)
settimana bianca - a skiing vacation (lit. a white week)
morti bianche - people who die while they are working (lit. white deaths)
mosca bianca - a rare / unusual thing which stands out (lit. a white fly)
piu bianco non si può - [from a popular tv ad] couldn't be more clean (lit. more white you cannot)
bianco come la neve - snow-white (lit. white as snow)
rendere l'occasione bianca - to spoil it (lit. to make the occasion white)
bianco come un panno lavato - to be as white as a sheet (very pale, usually because of illness, shock, or fear) (lit. white as washed cloth)
pretendere bianco per nero - to mislead (lit. to claim white for black)
di punto in bianco - suddenly, unexpectedly (lit. from a point in white)
un coro di voci bianche - a children's chorus (lit. a chorus of white voices)
matrimonio in bianco - an unconsumated marriage (lit. a white marriage)
andare in bianco - to go into the white (i.e. to have no success with someone romantically)
essere bianco dalla paura - be very scared (lit. be white for fear)
fare un assegno in bianco - dare un assegno senza scrivere la cifra (lit. make a blank check)
mettere nero su bianco - to write down (lit. to put black on white)
ROMANIAN
cusut cu aţă albă - obviously fake (lit. sewn with white thread)
a semna în alb - to grant full trust (lit. to sign in white)
scor alb - a score of zero (lit. a white score)
versuri albe - lyrics without rhyme (lit. white lyrics)
noapte albă - a sleepless night (lit. a white night)
armă albă - an object with a blade which can be used as a weapon (lit. white weapon)
a scoate cuiva peri albi - to annoy someone to exasperation (lit. to give someone white hair)
nici albă, nici neagră - undecided, ambiguous (lit. neither white nor black)
a deosebi albul de negru - to differentiate right from wrong (lit. to differentiate white from black)
a face albul negru - to falsify, misrepresent (lit. to make white black)
ba e albă, ba e neagră - it's contradictory, it keeps changing (lit. it's now white, now black)
a economisi bani albi pentru zile negre - to save for a rainy day (lit. to save white money for black days)
alb ca varul - very pale (white as a sheet)
PORTUGUESE
deu um branco - I can't remember (lit. white happened)
passar em brancas nuvens - to go by unnoticed (lit. to pass by in white clouds)
passar a noite em branco - to have a sleepless night (lit. to pass a night in white)
passar em branco - to go through a special day with commemorating it (lit. to pass in white)
branquear dinheiro - to launder money (lit. to whiten money)
LITHUANIAN
baltas pavydas - to be extremely jealous of something in a good way (lit. a white jealousy)
baltas it popierius - to be extremely pale (lit.white as a paper sheet)
balta varna - a person who is different from the crowd (lit. a white crow)
GERMAN
eine weiße Weste haben - to be innocent (lit. to have a white vest)
weiße Mäuse sehen - to see things that are not there (lit. to see white mice)
Hier steht es schwarz auf weiss - it's in writing, it's official (lit. it's here in black and white)
Halbgötter in Weiß - physicians (lit. demigods in white)
DUTCH
een wit voetje halen - to make a good impression (via flattery) (lit. to get a white foot)
wit rond de neus worden - getting scared (lit. getting white around the nose)
wit om de neus zien - looking nauseous (lit. looking white around the nose)
zie ik zo wit? - do you think I'm crazy? (lit. do I look that white?)
geld witwassen - to launder money (lit. to whitewash money)
witte rook zien - the decision is made (lit. to see white smoke)
de prins op het witte paard - the man of your dreams (lit. the prince on the white horse)
witte werkster - a household help whose income is reported for taxes (lit. a white worker (female)
DANISH
hvid som et lagen - very pale (lit. white as a sheet)
NORWEGIAN
å stirre døden i hvitøyet - to face your fear, achieve the seemingly impossible (lit. to stare death in the white of the eye)
hvitevarer - kitchen appliances such as fridge, stove and also washingmachines, tumbler dryer
hvit løgn - a small or harmless lie in order to be polite or avoid hurting someones feelings
POLISH
biały kruk - something rare (lit. a white raven)
w biały dzień - in broad daylight (lit. in a white day)
do białego rana - until the white dawn
doprowadzić kogoś do białej gorączki - to make someone angry (lit. to lead someone into a white fever)
białe szaleństwo - skiing (lit. white madness)
IRISH
fear ag lorg capall bhán - someone looking for something they already have (lit. a man looking for a white horse)
SWEDISH
han jobbar vitt - he works above board, he pays taxes (lit. he works white)
vit vecka - a week without any alchohol (lit. white week)
SERBO-CROATIAN
bijela kuga - low birthrate (lit. white plague)
bijeli svijet - whole wide world (lit. white world)
beli dan - broad daylight (lit. white day)
beli luk - garlic (lit. white onion)
bijela vrana - a person who is different from the crowd (lit. white crow)
bijeli miševi - imagined or hallucinated things (lit. white mice)
SCOTTISH GAELIC
ceannach geal an uair thig an sneachd - a bribe (lit. a white present when the snow comes)
chan 'eil e geal da - he is not fond of him (lit. he has no white for him)
ESTONIAN
ronka ei saa valgeks pesta - we can't hide/change something's true nature (lit. a raven cannot be washed white)
WELSH
ar gefn ei geffyl gwyn - full of mischief (lit. on the back of his white horse)
TURKISH
ak akce kara gun icindir - white money for a black day (i.e. savings for a rainy day)
ARCHAIC CZECH
obléci bílý kabát - to put on the white coat (i.e. join the army)
GREEK
Είναι άσπρος σαν το πανί - he's as white as a sheet
ENGLISH
beet red - dark red (usually describing the face)
to catch red-handed - to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong or illegal
tp be shown the red card - to be dismissed from one’s job
in the red - in debt
to see red - to be very angry
red tape - official or bureaucratic tasks
redneck - an ignorant, insensitive type
red eye - an airplane flight that takes off after midnight
to roll out the red carpet - to greet a person with great respect, give a big welcome; to treat someone like royalty
red herring - a clue or piece of information which is or is intended to be misleading or distracting
red rag to a bull - a deliberate provocation that is certain to bring about an adverse reaction
to see the red light - to recognize approaching danger
red hot - in high demand, something that everybody wants
red flag -a sign that something that is not right; a warning sign
to paint the town red- to go out and have a good time partying
ITALIAN
diventare rosso in viso - to become embarrassed (lit. to turn red in the face)
al calor rosso - so hot that it turns red (lit. to the red heat)
rosso come un peperone - blushing (lit. red like a pepper)
bandiera rossa - a warning signal, a sign that something’s wrong (lit. a red flag)
linea rossa - a hotline (lit. a red line)
una toga rossa - a magistrate accused of being left-wing biased by a conservative (lit. a red toga)
stendere il tappeto rosso - to give a big welcome to roll out the red carpet
una pellicola rossa - an adult erotic film (lit. a red movie)
camicie rosse - the name given to the volunteers who followed Giuseppe Garibaldi in southern Italy durino the Italian Unification (lit- red shirts)
allarme rosso - a serious warning of danger (lit. a red alert)
dare il disco rosso - give it to something (lit. Give the red disk)
rosso d'uovo - egg yolk (lit. red of the egg)
WELSH
ffilm coch - a film with erotic content (lit. a red film)
ESTONIAN
puust ja punaseks tegema - to make something really clear (lit. to make something out of wood and paint it red)
IRISH
deargbhréag - a blatant, bald-faced lie (lit. a red lie)
dearg-ghráin - deep-seated or intense hatred (lit. red hatred)
deargiomaíocht - cut-throat competition (lit. red rivalry)
gudh dearg - fury (lit. red rage)
brothall dearg - intense heat of day (lit. red swelter)
FRENCH
agiter le chiffon rouge - to start a conversation about a tricky subject (lit. to wave the red tea towel)
alerte rouge - readiness for emergency (lit. red alert)
du gros rouge - some bad quality red wine (lit. some big red)
être dans le rouge - an overdraft (lit. to be in the red)
être la lanterne rouge - to be the last one (lit. to be the red lantern)
être rouge de colère - to be very angry (lit. to be red with anger)
être sur liste rouge - a phone number that can’t be found on the directory (lit. to be on the red list)
fil rouge - a common theme (lit. red yarn)
la planète rouge - planet Mars (lit. the red planet)
le téléphone rouge - the telephone line between two heads of state (lit. the red telephone)
manger du pain rouge - to live off of murders (lit. to eat some red bread)
passer au rouge - to jump the lights (lit. to go on red)
rouge de confusion - to be embarrassed (lit. red with confusion)
se fâcher tout rouge - to get really crossed with somebody (lit. to get angry all red)
sortir du rouge - to recover from an overdraft (lit. to get out of the red)
tirer à boulets rouges - to assail (lit. to shoot red cannonball)
un rouge - a communist (lit. a red)
voir rouge - to have an angry outburst (lit. to see red)
le rouquin - red wine with a lot of body (lit. red-haired one)
être rouge comme une tomate - blushing from embarrassment (lit. to be as red as a tomato)
SPANISH
estar al rojo vivo - to be at fever pitch (lit. to be at vivid red)
mas rojo que un pimiento - very red (lit. redder than a red pepper)
mas vale una vez colorado que cien amarillo - it’s best to get angry once and strongly (lit. it’s worth more once red than one hundred times yellow)
y colorín colorado, este cuento se ha acabado - and that's the end of the story (i.e. they lived happily ever after) (lit. and bright red, this story has ended)
más listo que los ratones colorados - very cunning (lit. more clever than red mice)
ROMANIAN
a vedea roșu în fața ochilor - to be overcome with rage (lit. to see red in front of your eyes)
roşie - a tomato (lit. red)
firul roşu - the recurring theme (lit. the red thread)
GERMAN
auf der roten Liste stehen - to be endangered (lit. to stand on the red list)
heute rot, morgen tot - here today, gone tomorrow (lit. today red, tomorrow dead)
DUTCH
geen rode cent hebben - to be broke (lit. to not have a red cent)
rood aanlopen van schaamte - blushing with shame (lit. staining red with shame)
SWEDISH
röda värden - close to the limit (lit. red values)
inte ett rött öre - completely broke (lit. not a red penny)
röd dag - a holiday (lit. a red day)
LITHUANIAN
visas raudonas kaip vėžys - blushing (lit. red as a lobster)
išraudęs kaip burokas - blushing (lit. red as a beetroot)
POLISH
czerwony jak burak - blushing (lit. red as a beetroot)
SCOTTISH GAELIC
dearg - to make an impression, to plough (lit. to redden)
cha d'fhuair sinn deargadh - we didn't even get one (e.g. a fish) (lit. we did not get a reddening)
deargan-doirionn - a nebula (lit. a red stain)
cha dearg mi air - I cannot manage it (lit. I cannot make it red)
dearg-amadan - a complete fool (lit. a red fool)
dearg-namhaid - a sworn enemy (lit. a red enemy)
dearg—mheirleach - a notorious thief (lit. a red thief)
NORWEGIAN
rosenrødt - picture perfect (lit. rose red)
rødøyd - crying and upset (lit. red-eyed)
rødglødende - extremely passionate (lit. glowing in red). Also describes a level of activity. If your phone is glowing red, it means that it’s ringing a lot.
rød tråd (historien må ha en rød tråd) - to see something as a whole, the story is bound together by something
ENGLISH
to be green - to be inexperienced
the green light - permission
to be green with envy - to be very jealous
to have a green thumb - to be skillful in the garden
green belt - an area of fields and trees around a town
green room - the common waiting room back stage for performers
the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence - things are always better in another place; everything is better than a person’s current situation
ITALIAN
essere al verde - to have no money (lit. to be at the green)
verde di bile - to get angry (lit. green as bile)
verde dalla rabbia - very angry (lit. green from rage)
il tavolo verde - the gaming table in a casino the green table
un numero verde - a call-free number (lit. a green phone number)
gli anni verdi - the best of times (lit. the green years)
verde età - youth (lit. green age)
essere verde dall’invidia - to be very envious ( lit. to be green for envy)
avere il pollice verde - be good at cultivating plants and flowers ( lit. have the green thumb)
dare il disco verde - give way to something (lit. give the green disk)
FRENCH
un vert - an ecologist (lit. a green)
un vieillard encore vert - an old man who is still lively (lit. an old man still green)
une verte réprimande - a reprimand
une volée de bois vert - a violent thrashing (lit. a thrashing of green wood)
avoir le nombril vert - to be young and immature (lit. to have a green navel)
avoir le pouce vert (or "avoir la main verte") - to be gifted taking care of plants t(lit. o have a green thumb (to have a green hand))
en voir des vertes et des pas mûres - this is a hard one to digest (lit. to see some green and some not ripe)
donner le feu vert - to give one’s authorisation (lit. to give a green light)
envoyer quelqu’un au diable vert - to get rid of someone by sending them far away (lit. to send someone to the green devil)
être vert de jalousie - to be very jealous (lit. to be green with jealousy)
être vert de peur - to be very scared (lit. to be green with scare)
être vert de rage - to be very angry (lit. to be green with rage)
le billet vert - the dollar banknote (lit. the green banknote)
petits hommes verts - aliens (lit. the little green men)
prendre quelqu’un sans vert - to take somebody off-guard (lit. to take someone without green)
se mettre au vert - to go and rest in the countryside (lit. to get into green)
son vert - sound with a high-pitched tone (lit. his/hers green)
langue verte - slang (lit. green language)
c'est la fin des haricots verts - it's all over (lit. it’s the last of the green beans)
chou vert et vert chou - six of one, a half-dozen of the other (ie it's exactly the same thing) (lit. cabbage green and green cabbage)
la fée verte - absinthe (lit. the green fairy)
les bas verts - prostitutes (lit. green stockings)
SPANISH
darse un verde - to give oneself greens (i.e. to tuck into one’s food)
mas raro que un perro verde - strange (lit. stranger than a green dog)
un chiste verde - a "dirty" joke (lit. a green joke)
poner verde a alguien - to criticize someone (lit. to make someone green)
este tema está muy verde - it’s still a work in progress (lit. this essay is very green)
un viejo verde - a lecherous, "dirty" old man (lit. a green old man)
él/ella está demasiado verde - s/he's too inexperienced (lit. s/he is too green)
verde de envidia - very envious (lit. green from envy)
¡A buenas horas, mangas verdes! - too little, too late! (lit. at the right time, green sleeves!)
LITHUANIAN
žali obuoliai, žalios uogos, žalia mėsa - raw fruits, berries, meat (lt. green apples/green strawberries/green meat, etc)
žalias kailis - undone fur (lit. a green fur)
žalias jaunuolis - an unexperienced person (lit. a green Youngster)
žalia akyse - to feel sick (lit. green in the eyes)
žalias pienas - unboiled milk (lit. a green milk)
žalias vyras - a healthy and strong (lit. a green man)
žalia šviesa - a moonlight (lit. a green light)
ROMANIAN
verde - plainly, openly (lit. green)
burtă verde - an itinerant peddler (lit. green-belly)
undă verde - permission (lit. a green wave)
zână verde - absinthe (lit. green fairy)
a fi verde de ciudă - to be rancourous, spiteful (lit. to be green from rancour)
a îndruga verzi şi uscate - to say useless things (lit. to mumble greens and dried-up things)
a spune verde în faţă - to say it bluntly (lit. to say it green to the face)
verde de Paris - insecticide from copper arsenite and acetate (lit. green of Paris)
a visa (a spune) cai verzi pe pereţi - to imagine (say) inconceivable things to dream (lit. to say green horses on walls)
adio şi un praz verde - an expression of indifference to the addressee) (lit. farewell and a green onion (scallion)
a dormi pe iarba verde - to sleep outdoors (lit. to sleep in green air)
a vedea stele verzi - to see stars or be dizzy (e.g. after hitting one's head) (lit. to see green stars)
GERMAN
sich grün und blau ärgern - to be really mad (lit. to become green and blue from anger)
jemanden grün und blau schlagen - to beat someone up violently (lit. to beat someone green and blue)
ach du grüne Neune! - Oh my God! (for surprise/fear/wonder) (lit. Oh, you green nine!)
die grüne Fee - absinth (lit. the green fairy)
noch grün hinter den Ohren sein - to be inexperienced (lit. to still be green behind the ears)
das Gleiche in grün - the same thing with a different appearance (lit. the same in green)
Er ist mir nicht grün - he seems strange, I don't like him (lit. he's not green to me)
Er wird nie auf einen grünen Zweig kommen - he'll never get anywhere (lit. he'll never get onto a green twig)
ins Grüne fahren - to take a ride into the countryside (lit. to ride into the green)
Grün vor Stolz - very proud (used only in old fairy tales) (lit. green with pride)
Grün vor Neid - very envious (lit. green with envy)
DUTCH
zich groen en geel ergeren - to be very irritated (lit. to be irritated green and yellow)
groen van jaloezie zien - to be very jealous (lit. to see green from jealousy)
zo groen als gras zijn - naive, oblivious or never having been kissed (lit. as green as grass)
groen achter de oren - young and inexperienced (lit. green behind the ears)
SWEDISH
vara på grön kvist - as rich as green (i.e. wealthy)
det är grönt - it's safe to proceed, the coast is clear (lit. it is green)
komma på grön kvist - to improve your finances (lit. to get on a green branch)
POLISH
nie mieć zielonego pojęcia - to have no knowledge at all about something (lit. to not have a green idea)
Zielone Świątki - Pentecost (lit. Green Festival)
posłać na zieloną trawkę - to fire from work (lit. to send onto green grass)
być zielonym z zazdrości - to be very envious (lit. to be green from envy)
CZECH
Šedá je teorie a zelený je strom života - Grey is the theory, and green is the tree of life (adapted quotation by J.W Goethe: “All theory is grey, my friend. But forever green is the tree of life.”)
SCOTTISH GAELIC
uaineachan - a wan, pallid-looking person (lit. a green person)
Is uaine feur na faiche as fàsaiche - doing something unique or pioneering can be brilliant (lit. green is the colour of the least trodden field)
NORWEGIAN
grønnskolling - a completely inexperienced person (lit. a greenhead)
grønne lunger - a park in an urban area (lit. green lungs)
vaske munnen med grønnsåpe - if you curse a lot as a child you might hear the threat of being washed with soap. (lit. to wash your mouth with green soap)
sitte på den grønne gren - be successful, have it made, do well for oneself
grønn av misunnelse - green with envy
grønne fingre - to have a green thumb
TURKISH
yeşillenmek - to get fresh or to molest (lit. to turn green)
FINNISH
olla kateudesta vihreä - to be very jealous (lit. to be green with jealousy)
ESTONIAN
körvade tagant roheline - naive, immature (lit. green-eared)
IRISH
is glas iad na cnoic í fhad uainn - things that are not ours, not close to us, always seem better (lit. the hills far away are green)
DANISH
på den grønne gren - doing well, fortunate (lit. on the green branch)
at være grøn af misundelse - to be very envious (lit. to be green from envy)
skide grønne grise - to be very nervous (lit. to defecate green pigs)
håbet er lysegrønt - stay hopeful even when it looks bleak (lit. hope is light green)
PORTUGUESE
ficar verde de ciúme/inveja - to be very jealous (lit. to become green of jealousy)
ficar verde de raiva - to become furious (lit. to become green with rage)
SERBO-CROATIAN
pozelenio od muke - angry (lit. turned green by distress)
BULGARIAN
позеленял от завист - to become green from anger
ENGLISH
yellow-bellied - extremely timid, cowardly
yellow streak - cowardice in character
ITALIAN
un (libro) giallo - a thriller book (lit. a yellow book)
giallo d'invidia - very envious (lit. yellow with envy)
un giallo - an unsolved mystery (lit. a yellow)
FRENCH
être jaune de jalousie - to be extremely jealous (lit. to be yellow with jealousy)
être jaune - a fearful sportsman/woman (lit. to be yellow)
être peint en jaune - to be cheated on by their wife (lit. to be painted in yellow)
fièvre jaune - yellow fever (lit. yellow fever)
franchir la ligne jaune - to go too far (lit. to cross the yellow line)
rire jaune - a sour laughter (lit. yellow laugh)
un jaune - a strikebreaker (lit. a yellow)
un petit jaune - a pastis with some water (lit. a small yellow)
jaune d'envie - yellow (i.e. green) with envy
voir jaune - to be pessimistic (lit. to see yellow)
ROMANIAN
a se îngălbeni de frică - to become visibly afraid (lit. to become yellow with fear)
a flutura steguleţe galbene - to blather (lit. to stream little yellow flags)
galben ca turta de ceară - very pale (lit. as yellow as wax cake)
a râde/surâde galben -to laugh or smile in a forced, insincere way (lit. to laugh or smile yellow)
GERMAN
gelb vor Eifersucht werden - to become yellow with jealousy
Gelb vor Neid - envious (lit. yellow with envy)
das Gelbe vom Ei - a good thing (lit. the yellow of the egg)
LITHUANIAN
geltonas liežuvis - to be sick (lit. a yellow tongue)
SWEDISH
gul och blå - yellow and blue (lit. black and blue)
POLISH
żółtodziób - an inexperienced person, a rookie (lit. a yellow beak)
mieć żółte papiery - to be insane (lit. to have yellow papers)
SCOTTISH GAELIC
buidheach - jaundice(lit.yellowness)
NORWEGIAN
slå noen gul og blå - to beat someone up badly (lit. to beat someone yellow and blue)
TURKISH
sararıp solmak - looking sad or unwell (lit. getting yellow and withered)
FINNISH
keltanokka - a beginner, a rookie (lit. yellow-beaked)
DANISH
et barn på gule plader - a step-child (lit. a child with yellow licence plates)
PORTUGUESE
me ferrei de verde e amarelo! - I'm in trouble (lit. I'm screwed in green and yellow!)
sorriso amarelo - a forced, insincere smile (lit. a yellow smile)
SERBO-CROATIAN
žut ko krpa - nauseous (lit. yellow as cloth)
ENGLISH
blue pencil - to censor
blue-eyed boy - a boy who has been singled out for special favours by someone in authority
bolt from the blue - to make a huge but vain effort to win a person's agreement
to have the blues - to be sad or depressed
the boys in blue - the police
once in a blue moon - very rarely
blue in the face - to make a huge but vain effort to win a person's agreement
out of the blue - unexpectedly
blue-blooded - a person of noble birth
blue chip - a company or share that has with a national reputation for quality, reliability and the ability to operate profitably in good times and bad
blue stocking - an intellectual or literary woman
ITALIAN
fifa blu - to be terribly afraid (lit. blue funk)
avere il sangue blu - be noble (lit. have blue blood)
il principe azzurro - Prince Charming (lit. the blue prince)
FRENCH
une peur bleue - scared to death (lit. to have a blue fright)
avoir le sang bleu - to belong to the aristocracy (lit. to have blue blood)
avoir les bleus - to be sad, gloomy (lit. to have the blues)
avoir un bleu - to have a bruise (lit. to have a blue)
casque bleu - a soldier (lit. a blue helmet)
col bleu - a worker (lit. a blue collar)
colère bleue - an angry outburst (lit. a blue fit of anger)
conte bleu - a lie (lit. a blue tale)
cordon bleu - a very good cook (lit. a blue escalope)
détenir le ruban bleu - to be in the first place (lit. to own the blue ribbon)
donner son bleu à quelqu’un - to fire someone (lit. to give one’s blue to someone else)
en être tout bleu ou en rester bleu - to be dumbfounded (lit. to be all blue or to be blue from it)
être blanc-bleu - to have an untouched reputation (lit. to be white-blue)
être bleu de quelqu’un (expression belge) - to be crazy in love (lit. to be blue of somebody)
chocolat bleu pâle (expression belge) - to be in a bad shape, to feel sick (lit. white-blue chocolate)
être dans le bleu - to be uncertain (lit. to be in the blue)
être fleur bleue - to be romatic; to be naïve (lit. to be a blue flower)
faire le bleu - to skip class (lit. to do the blue)
la grande bleue - the mediterranean sea (lit. the big blue)
la planète bleue - planet earth (lit. the blue planet)
l’heure bleue - the moment before dawn (lit. the blue hour)
l’or bleu - in reference to the sea that represents a source of wealth (lit. the blue gold)
menton bleu - a shaved chin showing that the beard must be very black (lit. blue chin)
papier bleu - a bailif act (lit. blue paper)
passer au bleu - to forget intentionnaly (lit. to move on to the blue)
steak bleu - a grilled steak that is raw inside (lit. blue steak)
un bas-bleu - a ridiculous scholar woman (lit. blue stockings)
un bleu - blue overalls; an inexperienced person, a rookie (lit. a blue)
un petit bleu - telegram (lit. a small blue)
en être bleu - to be in the blue (i.e. struck dumb)
sacré bleu - an expression of emotion, like "my God! (lit. sacred blue!)
ne voir qu'en bleu - to be in the dark, uninformed (lit. to see nothing but blue)
fureur bleue - extreme anger (lit. blue fury)
LITHUANIAN
mėlyni pirštai - frozen fingers (lit. blue fingers)
pamėlęs iš pykčio - to be very angry (lit. blue from the anger)
ROMANIAN
băiat cu ochi albaştri - a (communist) secret service agent (lit. a blue-eyed boy)
inimă-albastră - melancholy (lit. blue heart)
barbă-albastră - a man who changes wives frequently (lit. a blue beard)
situaţia e cam albastră - things are slightly unpleasant (lit. things are blue)
haine albastre - townsman's clothes (lit. blue clothes)
a cânta de inimă albastră - to sing a love song (lit. to sing of blue heart)
GERMAN
das Blaue vom Himmel herunter lügen - to lie constantly (lit. to lie the blue out of the sky)
sich grün und blau ärgern - to be very angry (lit. to anger oneself green and blue)
blau machen - to take time off (lit. to make blue)
mit einem blauen Auge davonkommen - to get off unscathed (lit. to get away with a blue eye)
die blaue Stunde - the time before dusk especially during winter (lit. the blue hour)
blau sein - to be drunk or stoned (lit. to be blue / he is blue)
ein blaues Wunder erleben - to get a real shock/ nasty surprise (lit. to experience a blue wonder)
blauäugig sein - to be naïve, gullible (lit. to be blue-eyed)
ein blaues Auge haben - to have a bruised eye (lit. to have a blue eye)
einen blauen Fleck haben - to have a bruise (lit. to have a blue bruise)
jemandem das Blaue vom Himmel versprechen - to make big promises (lit. to promise the blue out of the sky)
blaue Bohnen - bullets (lit. blue beans)
auf blauen Dunst hin - without exact knowledge (i.e. in a future undertaking) (lit. in a blue haze)
jemandem blauen Dunst vormachen - to mislead/deceive someone (lit. to show someone blue haze)
ins Blaue fahren - to drive without having a specific destination (lit. to drive into the blue)
ins Blaue hinein - to make a complete guess (lit. to fall into the blue)
SWEDISH
I det blå - far from reality (lit. in the blue)
ljuga sig blå - to lie very much (lit. to lie yourself blue)
att skita i det blå skåpet - to go too far, make a fool of yourself (lit. to defecate/poop in the blue cabinet)
blåögd - naïve (lit. blue-eyed)
Farbror Blå - the police (lit. Uncle Blue)
POLISH
myśleć o niebieskich migdałach (Polish) to daydream (lit. to think about blue almonds)
DUTCH
een blauwtje lopen - to be turned down/rejected when asking for a date (lit. to walk a blue)
een blauwe maandag - a short period of time (lit. a blue Monday)
zich blauw betalen - to pay a lot of money (lit. to pay yourself blue)
blaubekken - to feel extremely cold (lit. to get a blue mouth)
Iemand bont en blauw slaan - to bruise someone by beating them (lit. to beat someone bright and blue)
Iets blauw-blauw laten - to leave something as it is (lit. to leave something blue-blue)
CZECH
modré pondělí - blue Monday (i.e. a Monday taken as holiday after the weekend)
dát/snést někomu modré z nebe - to give/bring someone everything they could want (lit. to give/bring someone the blue from the sky)
je to to samé v bledě modrém - to be essentially the same thing (lit. to be the same in light blue)
FINNISH
sinisilmäinen - naïve (lit. blue-eyed)
WELSH
yng nglas y dydd - the early morning (lit. in the blue of the day)
gorau glas - to do one’s best(lit. ‘blue best’)
glas wen - a smile that is insincere and mocking ( lit. a blue smile)
ei orau glas - as busy as he can be (lit. his blue best)
DANISH
at være blåøjet - to be naïve (lit. to be blue-eyed)
blå bog - a social register or a school yearbook (lit. a blue book)
blå mandag - an unauthorized day off from work or a celebratory day after church confirmation (lit. a blue Monday)
blåstemple - to designate as acceptable or high-quality (lit. to stamp with blue ink)
SPANISH
un principe azul - Prince Charming (lit. a blue prince)
PORTUGUESE
está tudo azul - everything is good with me (lit. everything is blue)
SERBO-CROATIAN
plava kosa - blond hair (lit. blue hair)
poplavio od bola - in a lot of pain (lit. got blue by pain)
plavci - police officers (lit. the blue ones)
NORWEGIAN
bare blåbær - something easy (lit. to do only blueberries)
blåmandag - an anticlimactic day after a good weekend (lit. a blue Monday)
blåøyd - naïve (lit. blue-eyed)
blåfrossen - blue-skinned from the cold (lit. blue frozen)
blåveis / blått øye - a bruised eye (lit. a blue eye)
blålys - police cars (lit. blue lights)
den blå timen - the transition from day to night
IRISH
fear gorm - a black man (lit. a blue man)
TURKISH
mavi boncuk dağıtmak - to show affection to several people making each believe that they're the only one (lit. to disperse blue beads)
SCOTTISH GAELIC
each gorm - a dark-grey (lit. a blue horse horse)
ENGLISH
browned off - to be bored, annoyed at something
FRENCH
être brun au jeu - to be lucky (lit. to be brown at games)
être chocolat - to be flabbergasted finding out that one’s been tricked (lit. to be chocolate)
faire le chocolat - to pretend to be naive (lit. to make chocolate)
ouvrage marron - a booked printed illegally (lit. a brown book)
une langue brune - a bootlicker (lit. a brown tongue)
faire quelqu'un marron - to cheat on someone (lit. to make someone brown)
être marron - to be cheated, fooled (lit. to be brown)
un médecin marron - a bad/poorly educated/fake doctor (quack) (lit. a brown doctor)
un avocat marron - a crooked lawyer (lit. a brown lawyer)
GERMAN
eine braune Gesinnung haben - to have an extreme right-wing political point of view (lit. to have a brown disposition)
DUTCH
een bruin café - a old-fashioned wood panelled cafe/pub (lit. a brown café)
ze bruin bakken - to brag or exaggerate (lit. to bake them brown)
NORWEGIAN
brunvarer - a small electrical appliance (lit. a brown product)
SPANISH
esto pasa de castaño oscuro - this is beyond a joke (lit. this goes beyond dark brown)
comerse un marrón - to be given unfair work or blame (lit. to eat a brown)
PORTUGUESE
imprensa marrom - the disreputable/tabloid press (lit. the brown press)
SCOTTISH GAELIC
ciar - dusk, gloominess (lit. dark brown)
DUTCH
paars van de kou zien - extremely cold (lit. purple from the cold)
SPANISH
ponerse morado - to be full (of food) (lit. to become purple)
un ojo morado - a bruised eye (lit. a purple eye)
PORTUGUESE
ficar roxo de frio - to feel very cold (lit. to turn purple with cold)
ficar roxo de raiva - to become enraged (lit. to turn purple with rage)
ROMANIAN
vânătă - eggplant / aubergine (lit. blue-purple)
a fi vânăt - to be bruised (lit. to be purple)
ENGLISH
tickled pink - very pleased and appreciative
with rose-coloured glasses - having an unrealistic view
FRENCH
voir des éléphants roses - to be high, to hallucinate (lit. to see pink elephants)
ce n’est pas tout rose - all is not as nice as it seems (lit. it’s not all in pink)
téléphone rose - the eroctic telephone line (lit. the pink telephone)
voir tout en rose - to be optimistic (lit. to see everything in pink)
SPANISH
la prensa rosa - celebrity gossip press, glossy magazines (lit. the pink press)
pintarlo de color rosa - to gild the lily, overdo it (lit. to paint it pink)
ITALIAN
stampa rosa - celebrity/gossip magazines (lit. pink press)
cronaca rosa - gossip column (lit. pink column)
foglio rosa - a temporary driver's licence (lit. a pink sheet)
letteratura rosa - romantic fiction (lit. pink literature)
LITHUANIAN
žiūrėti pro rožinius akinius - to be naive (lit. to look through the pink glasses)
DUTCH
op een roze wolkje zitten - to be (annoyingly) happy in love (lit. to sit on a little pink cloud)
de toekomst ziet er rooskleurig uit - the future looks good, hopeful (lit. the future looks pink)
ESTONIAN
läbi roosade prillide - unrealistic ideas (lit. through pink glasses)
SWEDISH
sväva på rosa moln - to be in love (lit. to float on pink clouds)
DANISH
svæve på en lyserød - sky to be in love (lit. to float on a pink cloud)
PORTUGUESE
revistas cor-de-rosa - celebrity/gossip magazines (lit. pink magazines)
CZECH
vyspat se do růžova - to sleep oneself into the pink (i.e. have had a good night’s sleep)
nosit růžové brýle - to think that things are more pleasant than they really are (i.e. look at things with rose-coloured glasses)
ROMANIAN
a se face roşu de mânie - to become furious (lit. to turn pink with rage)
a vedea viața în roz - to see the life in pink/rose colours ( i.e to be optimistic)
TURKISH
pembe yalan - a white lie, a "good" lie (lit. a pink lie)
ENGLISH
grey area - something without a clear rule or answer
FRENCH
être gris - to be drunk (lit. to be grey)
avaleur de pois gris - to be greedy, voracious (lit. someone who swallows grey peas)
bois gris - fuelwood
du gris - some ordinary tobacco (lit. some grey)
eminence grise - the occult advisor of a man in power (lit. grey eminence)
en voir de grises - to have great difficulties facing something (lit. to see some grey ones)
faire grise mine à quelqu’un - to treat someone with cold indifference (lit. to pull a grey face at somebody)
il fait gris - when the weather is cold and grey (lit. the weather’s grey)
matière grise - the brain (lit. grey matter)
or gris - white gold (lit. grey gold)
un petit gris - a kind of fungus or a kind of snail (lit. a small grey)
vie grise - a monotonous life (lit. a grey life)
ITALIAN
vedersela grigia - to foresee a bad outcome (lit. to see it grey)
esistenza grigia - mundane, insignificant life (lit. grey existence)
zona grigia - ambiguity, unclear situation (lit. grey zone)
materia grigia - the brain (lit. grey matter)
DUTCH
zijn grijze cellen gebruiken- to use your brain (lit. to use your grey cells)
een liedje grijs draaien - overplaying a song (lit. turning a song grey)
GERMAN
ein graues Mäuschen - someone unattractive, uninteresting (lit. a grey mouse)
Nachts sind alle Katzen grau - it makes no difference (under certain circumstances) (lit. at night all cats are grey)
CZECH
Šedá je teorie a zelený je strom života - Grey is the theory, and green is the tree of life (adapted quotation by J.W Goethe: “All theory is grey, my friend. But forever green is the tree of life.”)
DANISH
fyret på gråt papir - fired immediately for a cause (lit. fired on grey paper)
SWEDISH
börja få gråa hår - waiting too long for something (lit. starting to get grey hair)
gråsosse - a conservative member of the Socialist party lacking ideals (lit. a grey social democrat)
NORWEGIAN
kommunegrå - dull, depressing (lit. municipality grey)
gråværsdag - overcast or rainy (lit. grey weather day)
grå mus - describes someone as boring, uninteresting
POLISH
szara strefa - twilight zone (lit. grey zone)
na szarym końcu - at the tail end (lit. at the grey end)
szary cztowiek - the man on the street (lit. grey person)
SCOTTISH GAELIC
liath - to get moldy (lit. to turn grey)
ENGLISH
born with a silver spoon in one's mouth - to be born into a rich family
silver screen - the cinema
a golden opportunity - the perfect chance
a golden handshake - a large sum of money paid on leaving a job
a golden boy - a young man idolised for a great skill, usually in sport
with flying colours - with distinction
in the dark - unaware
one’s true colours - one’s real self
SPANISH
verlo a traves de un cristal de colores - to be optimistic (lit. to see it through a coloured glass)
de noche, todos los gatos son pardos - no one will notice what you do (lit. in the dark at night, all cats are dark-coloured)
PORTUGUESE
fiquei bege! - I'm astonished (lit. I'm beige!)
amizade colorida - a friendship which includes sex without commitment (lit. a coloured friendship)
é cor de burro quando foge - a colour which is hard to describe (lit. it's the colour of a donkey on the run)
GERMAN
einen Silberblick haben - to be squint-eyed (lit. to have a silver gaze)
sich eine goldene Nase verdienen - to make a fortune (lit. to earn yourself a golden nose)
bekannt wie ein kunterbunter Hund - well-known (lit. known like a colourful dog)
ROMANIAN
de nicio culoare - not at all, by no means (lit. of no colour)
a prinde culoare - to blush or to look healthy (lit. to gain colour)
culoarea vântului turbat - an indescribable colour (lit. the colour of the mad wind)
SERBO-CROATIAN
gledati kao tele u šarena vrata - to stare at something with surprise/wonder (lit. to stare like a calf at a colourful door)
SLOVAK
si zlatý - you're sweet, endearing(lit. you're golden)
nevidím to ružovo - I'm not optimistic about it (lit. I don't see it rosy)
SWEDISH
beige - less than optimal or desirable (lit. beige)
NORWEGIAN
gullkorn - an especially clever word/pun/idea (lit. golden grain)
gylden mulighet - a good chance to achieve something