The Great White Part 9: Immaculate Idioms Quiz

Answer: To display cowardice

"To show the white feather" is a term believed to have come from the sport of cockfighting in the early 1800s. Birds with white feathers were considered to be of inferior breeding and less aggressive. During World War I, groups of women roamed English streets and public places pinning white feathers on any young men not in uniform as a means of shaming them into enlisting. Admiral Charles Penrose Fitzgerald started the first White Feather Brigade in Folkstone.

Question submitted by pitegny.

Answer: White knuckles

A white-knuckle ride is one that is particularly scary or exciting and in a well-designed modern roller coaster, you might well find both at the same time. The idiom's origin lies in the observable fact that people who particularly tightly clench something with their hands will notice decreased circulation - and thus pale spots of skin - at their knuckles. My recommendation is to avoid that and just let your ride restraints do their jobs - your hands should be up in the air and a little movement in the seat only adds to the excitement.

Question submitted by WesleyCrusher.

Answer: Surrendering

Waving a white flag came to mean surrendering during ancient Roman times. Waving a white flag would indicate that that soldier was off-limits during battle. It also indicated someone was a prisoner of war or a recently free captive. At times, it also meant that the opponent was willing to negotiate or was proposing a ceasefire.

Question submitted by Joepetz.

Answer: White elephant

In Thailand (formerly Siam), rare white elephants were considered to be holy. They were not expected to work, but had to be cared for and maintained at great expense, and anyone wishing to worship them would have to be granted access to the animals. The term "white elephant" is thought to have come about because if a courtier fell out of favour, the King would present him with a white elephant as a gift. The unfortunate recipient would be forced to maintain the beast in good health and at great, often ruinous, expense.

Question submitted by Windrush.

Answer: Husband to wife: "That skirt looks great on you!"

A white lie is considered a small untruth that is generally harmless, or could be beneficial in the long term. For example, telling your wife that she looks great in her new outfit would probably get you out the door quicker than telling her she looks like a troll. It would also boost her self-esteem and encourage her to enjoy her night out without worrying that the skirt doesn't look as good as it did in the shop when she bought it.

The expression is believed to date back to the 1700s. In the western world white is associated with purity. A white lie was therefore a harmless lie told to avoid hurting someone's feelings.

Question submitted by Lones78.

Answer: Hospital

"White coat hypertension" is a syndrome where a person in a hospital setting exhibits increased symptoms of anxiety. Typically this is manifested through higher blood pressure. This can cause issues in correctly diagnosing a patient's illness and prescribing medication. Often other measures like heart rate and breathing patterns are used to identify if the increased blood pressure is due to "white coat hypertension". The white coat in this term refers to doctors or medical staff, as white coats are typically part of their work uniform.

Question submitted by zorba_scank.

Answer: Professional, managerial, or administrative work

The term refers to the white starched dress collars of male office workers that were commonly worn throughout most of the nineteenth century and part of the twentieth century in Western countries. The opposite term, blue collar worker, refers to the blue overalls worn by many manual laborers. Usually white-collar workers are better educated and perform higher level jobs for more payment than blue collar workers.

Question submitted by em1958.

Answer: French

"Carte blanche" comes from the French language where it literally means 'white or blank paper'. The Spanish equivalent is "Carta blanca". It means to give someone full freedom or authority to take any decision. There are many theories as to how this term originated. One such assumption is that in France, the rulers sometimes gave out a blank white paper with the royal signature on it. This paper then allowed the bearer to carry out any act without any fear of punishment. It is also claimed that when King Charles II was trying to escape the Roundheads during the English Civil War, he offered a blank page with his seal to anyone willing to help him. The person could then fill out whatever he wanted on the sheet above the signature and it would be legally theirs. The term "carte blanche" is sometimes used to refer to a signed blank cheque, where the receiver can fill in any amount and encash it.

Question submitted by zorba_scank.

Answer: White knight

Several medieval legends feature a knight in shining armour or a white knight coming to rescue some beautiful princess from a fiery dragon. The legend of Saint George is a typical example: he rescued the princess of Trebizond form a fire-breathing, hard-scaled dragon. The medieval expression has evolved to someone who helps people in need, and has stretched to the stock markets. In financial terms, a white knight is a company that launches a friendly take-over bid, either to rescue the target from insolvency or to counter a hostile take-over bid. For example, Fiat bought Chrysler when the American car company almost suffered bankruptcy.

Question submitted by JanIQ.

Answer: You have been seriously shocked or frightened.

To be "as a white as a sheet" implies that your face has lost all colour, probably as a result of receiving a fright or shock - or alternatively, feeling unwell. It isn't entirely clear from where or when this idiom was derived, but its use dates back at least 250 to 300 years. It seems likely, however, that it originated from its use to describe someone feeling very ill as they were the ones who were more likely to be lying in bed with a pallor that was almost as pale as their white bed sheets.

Question submitted by Fifiona81.