Las expresiones idiomaticas o modismos en inglés son buenos recursos para enriquecer tu inglés. Con el uso de las expresiones idiomaticas es más fácil transmitir un mensaje con claridad, enfatizando sentimientos, ideas o una situación en particular. Hoy vamos a comenzar por las expresiones relacionadas con los colores.
Color Idioms
Blue
- Once in a blue moon – raramente
I get to meet my brother once in a blue moon.
- Out of the blue – inesperadamente
Carrie was walking home when, out of the blue, she bumped into Tom.
- To be/look/feel blue – estar, parecer o sentirse triste
After the breakup, Amy was blue for a while.
→ PS: also, to have/get the blues
- To be blue-blooded – tener sangre azul
They movie premier was attended by the city’s blue bloods.
- Man / Men in blue – policía
The men in blue arrived late at the crime scene.
- True blue – leal
Ben is a true blue friend. I can always count on him.
Red
- To catch (somenone) red-handed – atrapar a alguien haciendo algo malo
Some years ago, Winona Ryder was caught red-handed while shoplifting.
- To be in the red – endeudado
After being in the red for years, the company has finally closed its doors.
- Paint the town red – salir para divertirse
How about you and I go out and paint the town red?
- Red-carpet treatment – tratamiento VIP, recibir un buen trato
Since Paul was friends with the restaurant’s owner, they gave us the red-carpet treatment.
- To see red – enfadarse mucho
Max saw red when some guy in the bar bought his girlfriend a drink.
- To wave a red flag in front of a bull – provocar a alguien
Never talk politics with Daniel. It is like waving a red flag in front of the bull and you’ll lose his friendship.
Green
- To be green – inmaduro, inexperto
The new intern is still too green for the position he was offered.
- To be green with envy – ponerse verde de envidia
As Cinderella waltzed with the Prince, her stepsisters turned green with envy.
- To get / give someone the green light – recibir / dar permiso para proseguir con un proyecto o idea
My boss gave me the green light to develop my own ideas for the new ad.
- To be a green thumb – tener buena mano para trabajar con plantas/en el jardín
After a day in the backyard, Jane found out she had a green thumb and that she enjoyed working the land.
- The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence – “las manzanas siempre parecen mejores en el huerto del vecino”/ uno siempre quiere lo que no tiene
Most people believe that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and are always wishing for something else.
Ampliar tu vocabulario y familiarizarte con las expresiones de uso popular te acercará más a la fluidez del inglés que buscas. Solo tienes que aprenderlas y poner en práctica su uso.