Idioms with the word ‘red’

In your continuing endeavor of learning English, you have either heard, read or experienced in some way or another an idiom in use. The more that you study English, the more that you will realize that native English speakers love to use idioms. Sometimes these phrases can be simple and easy to understand. However, many times they are very confusing because if you try to split up the words or use them individually, they do not make sense. In this essay, I will introduce a few idioms that use the word ‘red’.

The first idiom that uses the word ‘red’ that I would like to look at is “Paint the Town Red”. This idiom is used when talking about going out with your friends and having a very good time.

• Example number one: I have not seen my good college friends for a few years. We plan to spend the night together in Las Vegas. We are going to paint the town red.
• Example number two: Now that I am in my 60s, I have forgotten how to paint the town red. It has been too long since I have gone out with anyone and partied.

The second idiom that uses the word ‘red’ that I would like to look at is “Red Flag”. This idiom is used when you are talking about a warning sign or something that seems dangerous.

• Example number one: My manager asked me how to copy and paste text to his email. This was a red flag to me that he should not be a manager.
• Example number two: Sara was very surprised when her boyfriend turned out to be a criminal. I was not so surprised because when he avoided questions about his job or company and ducked out of certain events, I felt that this was a big red flag.

The third idiom that uses the word ‘red’ that I would like to look at is “Roll Out the Red Carpet”. This idiom is used when you are talking about someone being greeted or welcomed in either a very formal manner or a very generous manner.

• Example number one: Every time that the British royal family comes to Japan, the entire country rolls out the red carpet.
• Example number two: My parents were not happy that I was dating someone who worked in the service industry. They did not roll out the red carpet because they were cold and unfriendly during the first meeting.

The final idiom using the word ‘red’ for this essay is “Red in the Face”. This idiom is used when talking about an embarrassing situation or being ashamed about an event, whether it is an action done by the individual or in the general vicinity of the person.

• Example number one: Last week I gave a presentation and one of the new junior employees pointed out my mistake in front of all the staff. I have been red in the face since the incident.

• Example number two: During the weather report, the new weather anchor kept mispronouncing the name of a local city. The main anchors were red in the face for the entire show.

Just remember that idioms can be fun and help you sound more like a native speaker. I encourage you to keep looking for new and interesting idioms that you can use in and out of your lessons.

Kevin

Vocabulary

endeavor (verb) – to try hard to do or achieve something

some way or another (idiom) - in a way that is not known or understood, or when the specific details are not important

duck out (phrasal verb) – to leave quickly or secretly

generous (adjective) - giving or willing to give freely

vicinity (noun) - the area near or surrounding a particular place