Color Idioms

Phrases to remember:

1. pass with flying colors - With complete or outstanding success; to succeed brilliantly.

Examples:

• He passed the Latin test with flying colors.
• Don’t worry about your exam tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll pass with flying colors.

2. come through with flying colors - With complete or outstanding success; to succeed brilliantly.

Examples:

• I was worried she would let me down, but she came through with flying colors.

3. in the red - in debt or losing money.

Examples:

• Yahoo has been in the red for the past three years.
• The U.S. government is currently trillions of dollars in the red.

The opposite of “in the red” is “in the black.”

4. In the black - profitable or making money.

Examples:

• Microsoft is currently in the black but investors fear that next quarter it will be in the red.
• The company has been in the black since it hired a new CEO .

5. show/reveal one’s true colors - to show what someone is truly like.

Examples:

• She pretended to be nice, but her true colors were revealed at the meeting.
• When disaster strikes, people show their true colors.
• This crisis has forced politicians to show their true colors: they are all liars.

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