COLOUR IDIOMS

I. Match the idioms with their correct meanings:

1. red tape a. never doing anything wrong

2. red herring b. bruised and beaten
3. (to catch sb.) red-handed c. when your face is full of anger and hate
4. be in the red d. very pleased and appreciative
5. black look e. completely loyal to a person or a belief
6. blue collar f. find sb. in the act of doing sth. wrong or illegal
7. white collar g. extremely jealous
8. true-blue h. to owe money, to be in debt
9. whiter than white i. criticizing sb. while doing the same thing as he does
10.the pot calling the kettle black j. to be good at gardening
11. black and blue k. very rarely
12. green with envy l. a fact that takes people’s attention away from the main idea
13. to have green fingers (Br.E) m. used to describe people who work in an office
to have a green thumb (Am. E.)
14. Tickled pink n. unofficial rules and processes that seem unnecessary
15. Once in a blue moon o. Used to describe people who do physical or
unskilled work in a factory

II. Fill in the blanks with one of the idioms above:

1. My sister was … when her boyfriend gave her an armful of roses.
2. I was never convinced by the image of the … princess depicted in the press.
3. I got a phone call from a long lost cousin … a fortnight ago.
4. When we …, we almost had to sell both the house and the car.
5. I always tell my children not to eat too many sweets, but I have to admit it’s like …
6. They want the control of the company to remain in … hands.
7. My sister lives in Alaska so I get to see her …
8. The police investigated many clues, but they were all …
9. Tom’s face was all … after the car accident.
10. I want to set up my own business, but the amount of … is simply frustrating.