Meaning of Idiom ‘Green With Envy’ To be green with envy means to wish very much that you had the same possessions or good fortune that someone else has; to be very envious or jealous. 1Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.,2Brenner, Gail Abel. Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook]. Wiley, … Read more
Meaning Of Idiom ‘Once in a Blue Moon’ Once in a blue moon means not very often; very rarely; only once in a long period of time; practically never. 1Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010. ,2Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. ,3Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth M. The … Read more
Meaning of Idiom ‘Black and Blue’ To be black and blue means to be badly bruised and discolored. 1Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.,2Jarvie, Gordon. Bloomsbury Dictionary of Idioms]. London: Bloomsbury, 2009. Usage This idiom is used as an adjective. For example, one might say, “I tripped on the stairs … Read more
Also spelled red-letter day. Meaning of Idiom ‘Red Letter Day’ A red letter day is a day that is special, happy, pleasant, etc.; a day that is remembered fondly; a pleasurable or significant special occassion. 1Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms]. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.,2Jarvie, Gordon. Bloomsbury Dictionary of Idioms]. London: Bloomsbury, 2009.,3Ammer, Christine. American Heritage … Read more
Yellow-belly or yellow-bellied is an idiomatic expression, used as an adjective in use since at least the 1920’s and perhaps earlier. Meaning Yellow-belly is used as a noun, while its alternative version yellow-bellied is used as an adjective. This is U.S. expression meaning a coward or to be cowardly. Examples of Use “The bully turned out to be … Read more
Also ‘talk up a blue streak’ and ‘curse a blue streak.’ Meaning of the Idiom ‘Talk a Blue Streak’ Similar to talk nineteen to the dozen or talk a mile a minute. When someone ‘talks a blue streak’ they are speaking very quickly and at length. This idiom, like other related talk idioms, also has the connotation of exhausting the … Read more
Also: Pitch black Black as pitch Pitch darkness Pitch blackness Black as coal (rare) Meaning of Idiom ‘Pitch Dark’ All variations are more commonly used to describe darkness. Examples Of Use “I didn’t like camping. Being from the city, I found it hard to sleep in the pitch dark woods.” “The cloud cover made the night … Read more
An idiom expression in use since the 1800’s. Meaning of Paint the Town Red To paint the town red means to go out and have a lively good time, to go on a drinking spree and visit many bars and nightclubs, to be boisterous and wild. Usage “I’m so happy you got your promotion! Let’s go out … Read more
Also: The grass is always greener on the other side Meaning of Idiom ‘The Grass is Always Greener’ This idiom is a shortened version of the proverb the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, meaning that a different situation or circumstance always seems better than one’s own; other people’s lives always … Read more
Also: Green Fingers (UK) Meaning of Idiom ‘Green Thumb’ To have a green thumb means to have a special skill for gardening and the ability to make plants grow well. Usage While the UK version, green fingers is plural, the American version tends to be used in the singular. However, green thumbs can be used without changing the meaning. As well, the … Read more