Views and Visions: Colorful idioms Part 1

Category: Education/Family

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. purity / ˈpyʊər ɪ ti / (n.) – the state of being free from anything evil
    Example:

    White doves are often a symbol of purity.


  2. disreputable / dɪsˈrɛp yə tə bəl / (adj.) – believed to be dishonest or bad and not trusted or respected by other people
    Example:

    The article came from a disreputable source that was found to post fake news.


  3. drop out / drɒp aʊt / (phrasal v.) – to stop attending school before completing one’s studies
    Example:

    Mindy dropped out of college to focus on her family business.


  4. bind / baɪnd / (v.) – to keep something firmly in place by tying it with a string, rope, or other material
    Example:

    I used a rope to bind the sticks together.


  5. hinder / ˈhɪn dər / (v.) – to delay or prevent something
    Example:

    Her ankle injury hindered her from walking faster.


Article

Read the text below.

This month we will look at some common English idioms that use color to express an idea or feeling.


Some people say that lying is always wrong. However, there are “white lies,” which may be harmless or intended to protect someone’s feelings. The phrase is thought to come from Christian culture, which links white to purity. Imagine your grandmother serves you dinner but it tastes awful. Instead of telling the truth, you tell a white lie: “It tastes delicious.”


Most sheep are white, so a black sheep tends to stand out from the others. A “black sheep” is also a person who is considered to be different from the rest of their family or group. We often think black sheep are embarrassing or disreputable. “All the children in my family went to university, but my brother dropped out and now he works in a convenience store. He’s the black sheep of the family.”


In the 17th and 18th centuries, red tape was used to bind important official documents. If you wanted to read the documents, you needed to get permission to cut the tape. Some people didn’t like this; they said the red tape hindered decision-making. “Red tape” is a common idiom used today to describe official rules that may be more complicated than necessary. “My building application with the local government is still not authorized. My lawyer said there was nothing I can do and it’s just the usual red tape.” (Rob Horn)


To be continued…


This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Many English idioms use color to express an idea or feeling. Does your native language have a lot of color-based idioms too? Does your culture have similar ideas about the colors mentioned in the article (ex. white is linked to purity)? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • White lies are lies that may be harmless or intended to protect someone’s feelings. In your opinion, are white lies better than regular lies, or are they equally bad? What kind of white lies have you told people? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • A black sheep is a person who’s considered to be different from the rest of his/her family or group, often in an embarrassing or disreputable way. Do you think it’s okay to label people as black sheep? Could anyone in your life be called a black sheep? Discuss.
  • Red tape describes official rules that may be more complicated than necessary. Is red tape a big problem in your country? In what kind of situations do you often see red tape? Discuss.