Green Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘yellow’ and now look at ‘green’.

Green thumb, that is one who has a natural talent for gardening, is first seen as recently as 1938.

Green-eyed monster is first recorded in Shakespeare’s Othello

Green with envy is thought be derived from the green-eyed monster.

Green around the gills is a maritime expression first seen around 1800.

The other man’s grass is always greener dates back even before Petula Clark, to the first century BC and to the Greek poet Ovid.

Green light is first used to describe approval in 1937, although red and green lights had been used for stop and go respectively since 1883 – such lights being used only at night when it was impossible to see the semaphore flags.

Greenhorn, used to describe someone inexperienced, dates from the 15th century when it was used to describe immature bulls whose horns had net to fully grow.

Greenback, a reference to US dollar, dates from the American Civil War when emergency paper currency was issued with a green back: Demand Notes in 1861-62 and United States Notes 1862-65.

Green collar worker was first used in the 1970s, although it has only become popular in the last two decades, and used to describe those who seek employment in jobs which will not unduly affect the environment.

Green cheese was originally, in the 14th century, used to describe something which was fresh or new – whether this has any link to the idea that the moon was made of green cheese is unclear.

Greenroom is first seen in 1701, presumably this room for actors who are not on stage would have been painted green.

Yellow Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘white’ and now look at ‘yellow’.

Yellow peril is used to refer to cowardice and first seen in 1856.

Yellow-bellied is, as above, used to refer to cowardice and first used in 1924. The term yellow-belly had earlier been used by sailors to refer to their colleagues who were of mixed race. Note, while this and the previous examples show the colour as representing cowardice, traditionally (and as late as the 18th century) yellow has been associated with jealousy/envy.

Yellow dog is seen by 1770, and refers to a mongrel pooch. Later, by 1881, it is used to refer to someone seen as contemptible.

Yellow fever is first described in 1748, today we are more likely to say ‘jaundiced’.

Yellow journalism is an American expression referring to sensational chauvinism in the media, first seen in 1898. This began as the press were for aggression against Spain, and representative of the image of the Yellow Kid, the main character in Richard Outcault’s comic strip Shantytown.

Yellow ribbon, is an American tradition where such is worn to show support for friends and loved ones fighting for their country. In began in 1979 with the US embassy hostage crisis in Iran. Despite the oft-told story of it being from the film She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, a John Wayne film from 1949, there is no evidence of it being used prior to this. Of course the one thing which comes to mind when mentioning yellow ribbons, is the song by Tony Orlando and Dawn from 1973. This tells of how the ribbon would be displayed to show a convict returning home after being released from prison that they forgave him or her. Only problem here is, the ribbon had been used to show such forgiveness since 1959 but until the early Seventies had always been white. Yellow was a fictional account first told in a newspaper in 1971, the following year dramatized on television.

Yellowcake is first described in 1950, it’s an oxide of uranium.

Yellowtail is a name attributed to a fish, first described in 1709.

Yellow streak is simply another way of describing cowardice, first seen in the New Orleans newspaper the Daily Picayune in 1892.

Yellow brick road is the route followed in order to fulfil your hopes and dreams. The question is what came first, the film or the idea. We can be sure it wasn’t Elton John’s single and album of the same name. Although it is uncertain just when the metaphor was first used, it is quite clear the film The Wizard of Oz based on the book by Frank L. Baum followed the use of the phrase to suggest the streets of America was where a fortune could be made for those who chose the right path. Probably beginning around the time of the gold rush, the Emerald City in the land of Oz represents the US dollar.

Just to confuse matters in Middle English the word ‘yellow’ referred to a closer to blue-grey or even grey – used specifically to refer to the colour of eyes or of frogs.