ESL Blogs

Color Idioms 2

black and blue
- bruised
example: My shoulder was black and blue after I fell down the stairs.

black and white
- either good or bad, either one way or the other way, oversimplified
Our boss sees everything in black and white.

black box
- an electronic device such as a flight recorder that can be removed from an aircraft as a single package
The investigators searched for a long time in order to find the black box of the airplane.

black eye
- a bruise near one's eye which makes it appear black
The man received a black eye when he bumped into the closed door.

black market
- the place where goods or money are illegally bought and sold
We sold some cigarettes on the black market during our travels.

black out
- to darken a room or building by turning off the lights
During the war, people in the cities were forced to black out their windows so nobody could see them.

black out
- to lose consciousness
The man blacked out during the parade and he had to sit down and rest.

black sheep (of a family)
- a person who is a disgrace to a family or group
The man is the black sheep in his family and has not made a success of his life.