A Closer Look: Lesson 7 · Street Talk 1 Vocabulary List

used to refer to something completely dark in color

"Her hair is black as coal."

"The night sky was as black as coal, with not a single star visible through the thick clouds."

to suddenly lose consciousness or become unaware, often due to a drop in blood pressure, shock, or exhaustion

"He blacked out from exhaustion."

"The pilot blacked out momentarily due to the extreme g force during the high speed maneuver."

used to refer to something that is extremely dark or black

"The room was black as night."

"Without any streetlights, the country road was as black as night and impossible to navigate safely."

to cast a vote or take action to prevent someone's acceptance or endorsement

"They blackballed him from the club."

"The exclusive country club decided to blackball the celebrity because of his controversial behavior in public."

to put a person, company, or entity on a list that prohibits or restricts their access, participation, or involvement in certain activities

"The studio blacklisted the actor."

"The studio decided to blacklist the actor after he publicly criticized the producer and director."

used to refer to something, particularly a bank account, that is providing one with a considerable amount of profit

"Our business is finally in the black."

"After several difficult years the business is finally back in the black and making a good profit."

a type of country music that uses unamplified stringed instruments such as banjos, guitars, etc. and is usually high-pitched

"Bluegrass has banjo and fiddle."

"Bluegrass is a genre of American roots music that uses acoustic stringed instruments like the banjo fiddle and mandolin."

occurring without prior warning

"He called me out of the blue yesterday."

"She called me out of the blue yesterday after not speaking to me for more than ten years."

to use offensive words in an intense and rapid manner

"He stubbed his toe and swore a blue streak."

"When he hit his thumb with the hammer he swore a blue streak that shocked everyone nearby."

used for saying that one will not achieve what they want no matter how much they try

"He argued until blue in the face."

"You can explain the rules until you are blue in the face, but he still won't understand."

a situation that is hard to define or categorize and therefore unclear

"The legality of the action is a gray area."

"The legality of the action is a gray area and lawyers disagree about whether it is permitted."

(of a person) feeling or looking nauseated, pale, or sickly

"After the boat ride, he looked green around the gills."

"After the bumpy flight the passenger looked green around the gills and asked for a sick bag."

a person's natural talent or ability to make plants grow efficiently

"Her green thumb keeps the garden full of flowers."

"Her green thumb was evident from the lush vegetable garden in her backyard."

feeling jealous of another's advantages, possessions, or experiences that one lacks

"She was green with envy when she saw her friend's new car."

"When my friend showed me her new sports car I was absolutely green with envy and jealous."

the feeling of discontent caused by lacking someone else's possessions, accomplishments, etc.

"Jealousy, the green-eyed monster, took over him."

"The green-eyed monster took over when she saw her best friend wearing a more beautiful dress to the party."

a piece of paper money (especially one issued by a central bank)

"The business earns millions of greenbacks."

"The dealer demanded payment in greenbacks rather than credit cards or checks."

used to say that people often think that other situations or circumstances are better than their own, even if they are not

"He always wants what others have — the grass is always greener on the other side."

"Employees who left for competitor firms often discovered that the grass is not always greener on the other side."

(of a person) in a very healthy physical state

"After the vacation, I am in the pink of health."

"My grandmother is ninety years old but she is still in the pink of health and very active."

a term used to describe someone with moderately leftist or progressive political views, often associated with socialism or liberalism, but not as extreme as a communist

"The accusation of being a pinko ruins his career."

"The senator was accused of being a pinko because of his moderate social welfare proposals."

the little finger of one's hand

"My pinky is small."

"She wore a ring on her pinky."

filled with extreme happiness, excitement, or satisfaction

"She was tickled pink to receive flowers."

"My mother was tickled pink when I surprised her with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for her birthday."

a United States military decoration awarded to any member of the armed forces who is wounded in action

"The soldier receives a purple heart for his injury."

"The soldier received a purple heart after being wounded by shrapnel during combat."

to arrest or see someone the moment they are doing something that is illegal or dishonest

"The police caught the thief red-handed."

"The police caught the thief red-handed as he was climbing out of the broken window with the stolen jewellery."

in debt due to spending more than one's earnings

"The company is in the red."

"After years of poor management, the business finally went into the red and had to close."

to go out and drink alcohol, dance, or do whatever one pleases

"We went out to paint the town red on Saturday night."

"To celebrate their anniversary they decided to paint the town red and go to every club in the city."

describing a person whose face has become red, typically due to embarrassment, anger, or exertion

"He was red-faced with anger."

"The red faced man shouted at the referee after his team was penalized for a play he thought was legal."

official procedures or rules that are unnecessary and time-consuming

"Too much red tape delayed the new building project."

"Starting a small business requires dealing with so much government red tape that many entrepreneurs become frustrated with the endless paperwork and delays."

a day that will always be remembered by an exceptionally good thing that has happened on it

"The day she graduated was a red-letter day."

"The day she received her university acceptance letter was a red letter day for her family."

a rural, working-class white person, especially in the Southern U.S., often stereotyped as socially conservative, uneducated, or unsophisticated

"He is a redneck."

"The politician's speech was criticized for appealing to a stereotypical redneck audience."

to treat a guest whom one greatly values with extra care and attention

"They rolled out the red carpet."

"The hotel rolled out the red carpet for the famous actress when she arrived for the charity event."

to suddenly become enraged and uncontrollably angry

"He saw red and shouted."

"When she discovered the betrayal, she saw red and immediately confronted her so-called best friend."

used to refer to someone who looks unnaturally pale, often as a result of fear or illness

"She looked white as a ghost."

"When he heard the terrible news, his face went as white as a sheet and he couldn't speak."

of or belonging to or representative of the white middle class

"He has a white-bread personality."

"The white bread suburban neighborhood was quiet and safe but some people found it boring and predictable."

a possession that is costly to maintain and difficult to dispose of, often more trouble than it is worth

"The large monument becomes a white elephant that no one uses."

"The large monument becomes a white elephant that no one uses and costs millions to maintain."

a small lie that does not cause any harm, especially told to avoid making someone upset

"She tells a white lie to spare his feelings."

"She tells a white lie to spare his feelings and says his cooking is delicious when it is not."

feeling sad or melancholic

"I feel so blue."

"She felt blue after receiving the disappointing news about her job application."

a feeling of sadness or depression, often mild and temporary

"He felt the blues."

"She experienced a bout of the blues after her best friend moved away."

a person's ability to learn or understand something

"Use your gray matter."

"Solving this complex puzzle requires a significant amount of gray matter and logical thinking."

inexperienced or lacking in worldly knowledge, often showing innocence or gullibility

"He is very green."

"As a green intern, she was initially overwhelmed by the intricacies of the corporate world."

a person who is associated with or supports communist or socialist ideologies

"The politician was called a red."

"During the Cold War, anyone suspected of being a red faced severe persecution and suspicion."

an amount of money that is extremely small

"Not one red cent."

"He promised to repay the loan but hasn't given me a single red cent yet."

characterized by intense emotion or interest or excitement

"The idea was red-hot."

"Her red-hot passion for painting fueled her creative endeavors day and night."

lacking in courage

"Don't be yellow."

"He was accused of being yellow when he refused to stand up to the bully."