___ elephantBolt from the _____ tape___ liePaint the town ___Wave the ___ flagTalk a ___ streak__ carpet___ knightTrue ____ blood___ herringSeeing _____ as a ghost___-eyed boy
* Drag / drop or click on the choices above to move them to the correct categories.
A white knight is a figure from medieval myth, described as arriving on a horse to save a damsel in distress. In modern terms, the term is also used in the business world. The meaning is similar to the original term as it describes a saviour. In this case, it is a person or organization who steps in to save a company from distress.
2. True __
Answer: Blue
The term true blue refers to someone who is loyal or faithful. It is believed that this idiom originated from the city of Coventry in England. The blue cloth produced in the town was of the highest quality and did not fade easily, giving rise to this phrase.
3. __ carpet
Answer: Red
Red carpet refers to special treatment given to important people. In Ancient Greece, it was believed that the gods walked on red cloths to avoid touching the ground. In the 20th century, it became common for red carpets to be used for movie premiers and other events graced by celebrities.
4. __ tape
Answer: Red
The term red tape is used to describe complicated and unnecessary rules. Government entities and large organizations are often accused of having too much red tape, making it difficult to get important work done quickly.
5. ___ elephant
Answer: White
A white elephant is a valuable but useless item. The idiom has come from Thailand where white elephants were considered holy. They were expensive to maintain and look after and did not do any work to yield any value.
6. Bolt from the ___
Answer: Blue
A bolt from the blue refers to a completely unexpected event. For example, if the chairman of a company resigns suddenly it may be called a bolt from the blue. An earliest written reference is in Thomas Carlyle's "The French Revolution" published in 1837.
7. Paint the town ___
Answer: Red
To paint the town red means to spend an evening having fun partying, drinking, and dancing. Some sources note this idiom originated in America with the red referring to fireworks and bonfires. Others state this term had a more literal origin when an English nobleman and his friends painted buildings red after a night of partying.
8. Wave the ___ flag
Answer: White
To wave the white flag means to surrender or accept defeat. From ancient Roman times, waving a white flag has been used to indicate that the soldier no longer wants to fight.
9. ___-eyed boy
Answer: Blue
The term blue-eyed boy (or girl) is used to refer to someone who is favoured. Commonly used in the UK and Australia, the connotation is generally negative, inferring the person is getting preferential treatment.
10. Seeing __
Answer: Red
To see red means to become angry. Red has historically been considered a sign of danger. Therefore it is considered that seeing a red flag in battle or otherwise may incite feelings of anger. Some sources also attribute this term to the sport of bullfighting where a red cloth is used to incite the animal.
11. ___ as a ghost
Answer: White
White as a ghost refers to a person looking unnaturally pale. It is usually due to fear or illness.
12. __ blood
Answer: Blue
Blue blood refers to royalty or aristocracy. The phrase came to English from the Spanish language. Some of the oldest families in the Spanish region of Castile boasted that their lineage was pure and there had not been any intermarriage with the Jews or Muslims. They called themselves "Sangre Azul" or blue blood and showed how their veins looked blue against their pale skin.
13. ___ lie
Answer: White
A white lie is sometimes also called a fib. It generally refers to a minor, relatively harmless untruth. Western culture considers white a sign of purity. A white lie was therefore a lie told with to avoid hurting another person.
14. ___ herring
Answer: Red
Red herrings are found mostly in detective fiction. They are false clues used to mislead the reader. There is no real fish called the red herring.
15. Talk a ___ streak
Answer: Blue
To talk a blue streak means to talk quickly without stopping to take a pause. The phrase originated in the 19th century in America. The blue streak was used as a reference to lightning to indicate speed.
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