Idioms with BLUE

blue blood (the blood of a noble or wealthy or aristocratic family
Many of the blue bloods of the town went to the opening of the opera.

blue in the face (to be very angry or upset, to be excited and very emotional)
I argued with my supervisor until I was blue in the face.

blue-ribbon (of superior quality or distinction, the best of a group)
A blue-ribbon panel of experts were asked to suggest a new policy for the city.

get the blues (to become sad or depressed)
The dull cloudy weather has caused me to get the blues.

have the blues (to be sad or depressed)
The man next door seems to have the blues.

out of the blue (without warning, happening suddenly and unexpectedly)
Out of the blue, my friend decided to stop using Facebook.
The decision to close the store came out of the blue.

talk a blue streak (to talk very much and very rapidly)
The woman beside me on the bus talked a blue streak for most of the journey.

talk until one is blue in the face (to talk until one is exhausted)
I talked until I was blue in the face but I could not change my teacher's opinion about my essay.

Idioms with BLACK

(as) black as a skillet (very black)
My hands were as black as a skillet when I finished working on the car engine.  
as black as a stack of black cats
The little boy was as black as a stack of black cats after playing outside all day.  

coal

pitch

as black as a sweep (very dirty or black. A chimney sweep cleans chimneys and becomes very black)

My friend was as black as a sweep after he finished cleaning the basement.  
as black as coal (very black)
My friend's cat is as black as coal.

as black as night (very dark and black) 

The old house was as black as night when we entered it.

as black as pitch (very black)

 My face was as black as pitch after cleaning the stove all morning.

as black as the ace of spades

The horse in the parade was as black as the ace of spades.

black and blue (bruised)

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.

blackball (someone) (to exclude or ostracize someone socially, to reject someone)

The businessman was blackballed in the industry because of his bad business practices.

blacklist (someone) (to exclude or ostracize someone, to write someone's name on a list if they break some rules)

The sports federation blacklisted the swimmer because he was using steroids.

blackmail (someone) (to extort or take money from someone by threatening him or her)

The photographer tried to blackmail the famous actress with some photographs that he had taken.

black-tie event/affair (a formal event where guests wear semi-formal clothes with men wearing black bow ties with tuxedos or dinner jackets)

The award ceremony for the movie awards was a black-tie affair.

in black and white (in writing, officially)

I put down my complaint in black and white.

in (someone's) black books (to be in disgrace or in disfavor with someone)

The boy is in his girlfriend's black books because he was late for their date.

in the black (to be successful or profitable)

Our company has been in the black since they began to cut costs.

Tongue Twister 2

Get Ready!

GO!

 

Tongue Twister 1

How fast can you say them?

Summer and Sun Idioms

Some idioms that are associated to summer:

• One swallow does not make a summer, and One swallow does not a summer make.

Prov. You should not assume that something is true just because you have seen one piece of evidence for it.
Amanda: I got a good grade on this quiz! My troubles in school are over. 
Nancy: One swallow does not a summer make.

• Summer complaint

n. diarrhea, especially that experienced in the summer.
I’ve got a touch of the summer complaint.

• An Indian summer

1. a period of warm weather which sometimes happens in early autumn.
Both the UK and Ireland have been enjoying an Indian summer over the past few weeks.
2. a successful or pleasant period in someone's life, especially towards the end of their life
The book describes the last 20 years of Churchill's life, including his Indian summer as prime minister between 1951 and 1955.

• To make hay while the sun shines

 To do something right away while the situation or conditions are right, with no delay.
  It’s stopped raining, so I can go out and wash the car. Better make hay while the sun shines.

•  A place in the sun

A job or situation which makes you happy and gives you everything you need and want.
Joey has got a new job as an illustrator. He loves it! He’s finally found his place in the sun.

•  To think the sun shines out of someone's backside (very casual/not polite)

To love someone so much that you think they are perfect. This has a negative image as we usually use it when someone loves another person too much and forgets their faults.
 Tim thinks the sun shines out of his girlfriend’s backside! He’s always saying how great she is.

Have you found your place in the sun?

Giuseppe Catà's holiday homework

The holiday homework set by Giuseppe Catà, an English teacher at the Don Bosco high school in Fermo went viral overnight. Rather than homework tasks, what this enlightened teacher set was more like deeply inspiring advice for their life that will probably be much more useful for his students than pages and pages of grammar exercises that would be carried out mechanically.

1. In the morning, go to walk by the sea sometimes, in total solitude: look at how the sun reflects in it and think about the things you love most in life, feel happy.
2. Try to use all the new terms that we have learned together this year: the more things you can say, the more things you can think of and the more things you can think of, the more you are free.
3. Read as much as you can, but not because you have to. Read because summer inspires dreams and adventures and by reading you can feel like swallows in flight. Read because it is the best form of revolt that you have (ask me if you would like any suggestions for reading material).
4. Avoid all things, situations and people that make you feel negative or empty: look for challenging situations and the company of friends who broaden your horizons and who understand and appreciate you for who you are.
5. If you feel sad or scared, do not worry: the summer, as all other wonderful things, worries the soul. Try to write a diary to express how you feel (in September, if you like, we will read it together)
6. Dance. Without shame. Just outside your house, or in your room. Summer is a dance, and it is foolish not to take part.
7. At least once, go to see the sunrise. Stay silent and breathe. Close your eyes, in appreciation.
8. Do a lot of sport.
9. If you find a person who enchants you then tell them with as much sincerity and grace as you possibly can; no matter whether he or she will understand or not. If he or she does not understand, then he/she was not your destiny; if he/she does understand then the summer of 2015 will be a beautiful time to share together (if this goes wrong, go back to step 8).
10. Look over your notes taken in our classes: for each author and each concept ask yourself questions and relate then to what happens to you.
11. Be as cheerful as the sun and as untameable as the sea.
12. Do not use swear words and always be polite and kind.
13. Watch films with poignant dialogues (possibly in English) to improve your language skills and your ability to dream. Do not let the film end with the credits. Relive it whilst you live your summer.
14. In the shining light of day or on warm nights, dream how your life must and can be: in the summer look for the strength to never give up anything, and do everything you can to pursue that dream.
15. Be good.

Be as cheerful as the sun and as untameable as the sea.

First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining Lyrics