COLOUR IDIOMS – WHITE

Do you know how many different things this simple word can express?

a white lie – a harmless lie / a lie to spare someone’s feelings – ártatlan hazugság                        

white noise – a static noise – „fehér zaj”, monoton háttérzaj                                 

white as a sheet – scared, sick, surprised – falfehér                                     

white as a ghost – scared – halottsápadt, holtsápadt                                   

white–collar workers – related to “desk jobs”– értelmiségi, szellemi dolgozó                                 

a white flag – a sign of surrender – megadást jelentő fehér zászló                                       

to whitewash something – to mask the negative parts – fehérre/tisztára mosni valamit, tisztázni

a white Christmas – snow on Christmas day – fehér, havas karácsony                                 

a white wedding – a traditional western–style wedding where the bride wears a white gown – esküvő, ahol a menyasszony fehér ruhában van

white-hot –extremely hot OR popular – nagyon meleg, nagyon népszerű

a white paper – an authoritative report on an issue –  a hivatalos álláspontot kifejtő jelentés  

a white elephant – a useless knick-knack  OR an expensive, useless thing – haszontalan csecsebecse, drága, de semmire sem használható dolog                               

white as the driven snow – innocent (often used sarcastically about corruption) – patyolatfehér

white with rage – extremely enraged – dühtől falfehér, nagyon dühös                                             

to bleed someone white – to take everything someone has, especially money–  kiszipolyozni               

showing the white feather – acting cowardly – gyáván viselkedni                                         

a white-knuckle ride – a dangerous, nerve-wracking, scary ride –  veszélyes, rémisztő utazás

lily-white – blameless,  godly – ártatlan, szent                                                                               

white flight (U.S.) – a trend where white families move out of urban areas – fehér családok vidékre költözése a városból               

whiter than white (British) – righteous, innocent – a fehérnél is fehérebb, ártatlan

Match the idioms with the definitions.

1.to whitewash something	a. a harmless lie / a lie to spare someone’s feelings
2.white noise	b. scared, sick, surprised
3.white-collar workers	c. scared
4.whiter than white	d. a static noise
5.lily-white	e. related to “desk jobs”
6.showing the white feather	f. a sign of surrender
7.white flight	g. to mask the negative parts
8.white with rage	h. snow on Christmas day
9.to bleed someone white	i. a traditional western–style wedding where the bride wears a white gown
10.a white-knuckle ride	j. extremely hot OR popular
11.a white paper	k. a useless knick-knack  OR an expensive, useless thing
12.white as the driven snow	l. an authoritative report on an issue
13.a white wedding	m. innocent (often used sarcastically about corruption)
14.white-hot	n. to take everything someone has, esp. money
15.a white elephant	o. extremely enraged
16.a white lie	p. a dangerous, nerve-wracking, scary ride
17.white as a sheet	q. blameless,  godly
18.a white flag	r. a trend where white families move out of urban areas
19.white as a ghost	s. righteous, innocent
20. awhite Christmas	t. acting cowardly

Key:

1.       g.

2.       d.

3.       e.

4.       s.

5.       q.

6.       t.

7.       r.

8.       o.

9.       n.

10.   p.

11.   l.

12.   m.

13.   i.

14.   j.

15.   k.

16.   a.

17.   b.

18.   f.

19.   c.

20.   h.