A6
Colours and their Associations
In all cultures, different colours have different associations. Here are the associations that different colours have for British and American people.
Red warns of danger. The expression red alert is used to warn of a sudden and very dangerous situation. The expression like a red rag to a bull means that something is likely to make someone very angry and cause them to react violently. People imagine that the devil is red. Red heart shapes and red roses are used to represent romantic love. Red clothes, and lips and fingernails that are painted red are often associated with sexual desire. Red is thought to be an exciting colour; the expression paint the town red means to go out at night to bars, clubs etc and have a very good time. In politics, red is used to represent COMMUNISM and SOCIALISM. In the UK the LABOUR PARTY is represented by a red rose. If someone is red in the face, they are very embarrassed. It is traditional to welcome a king, queen, or president to a place by having a red carpet for them to walk on.
In the US and UK it is very common for clothes to be blue. NAVY BLUE (=very dark blue) is a common colour for UNIFORMS such as those worn by sailors and the police, and formal clothes worn for work: a navy blue suit. In the UK, blue is the colour of the CONSERVATIVE PARTY. There is a joke that old ladies who support this party have a blue rinse, which means that they have their white or grey hair dyed a pale blue colour. The expression blue-collar is used to talk about social class. A blue-collar worker works in a factory, repairs machines etc (compare WHITE-COLLAR). Blue is connected with coldness. If you say that someone is blue with cold, you mean that they are very cold. Pale blue is associated with baby boys, who are traditionally dressed in this colour. Today many parents avoid dressing their boys in blue because they think that it strengthens sexual STEREOTYPES. People who belong to royal families are said to be blue-blooded (=to have blue blood). This suggests that they are special, and different from ordinary people, who have red blood.
Purple
Purple is associated with kings and queens and Roman EMPERORS, and in the past, these were the only people who were allowed to wear purple clothes. It is also connected with the pope. Purple prose is a piece of writing that has a grand style. If someone is purple with rage or purple in the face, they are extremely angry.
Green
British and American people think of green as the colour that represents nature. If you describe a place as green, you mean that it is covered with grass or trees: green fields. The green belt is an area of land around a city where building is not allowed, in order to protect fields and woods. Green is the national colour of Ireland, also known as the EMERALD ISLE because of its many green fields. Green also means 'connected with the environment'. Green issues are ideas about the environment that are discussed in parliament, newspapers etc. In Britain and some other countries there is a political party called the Green Party which is chiefly interested in Green issues. Products that are described as green are thought to cause less harm to the environment than other products. Green is used to describe someone who is young and lacks experience in a job. Green represents jealousy. If you are green with envy, you are very jealous of someone who has something that you want. The expression green-eyed monster is used to mean sexual jealousy. If someone's face is green, they look pale and unhealthy, especially because they are about to VOMIT.