Today let’s learn 10 different expressions with the word BLACK.
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#1 – a black eye
Our first expression is a black eye – this is when you get hit or punched in your face and the area around your eye turns dark, blue or purple – we call this a black eye in English.
#2 – in the black
Next we have “in the black,” and this is related to finances. If a company is in the black it means the money coming in was more than the money going out. Revenue was higher than expenses. The opposite situation – when they spend more money than they made – is called being in the red.
#3 – black tie
If you get invited to a formal event, you might see the expression black tie – this refers to the dress code, the type of clothes you’re supposed to wear. Black tie means very formal – a tuxedo or dinner jacket for men and a long fancy dress for women.
#4 – black out
Next we have a phrasal verb and that is black out – to black out means to faint or to lose consciousness. If you hit your head hard, you might black out.
#5 – the black market
The black market refers to buying and selling illegal things, like drugs or weapons that are forbidden by the country’s laws.
#6 – a black mark on your record / beside your name
A black mark on your record or a black mark beside your name describes a lasting negative opinion from one of your mistakes or failures. If someone caused a serious traffic accident, he would have a black mark on his driving record.
#7 – blacklist
We also have the term blacklist – this is a list of people, groups, companies, or organizations who are considered undesirable or deserving punishment, and so we don’t want to interact with them. If I strongly support clean energy, then any companies that pollute the environment would be on my blacklist.
#8 – black sheep of the family
If you are the black sheep of your family, or of your company or another group, it means you are very different from them, and they often see you negatively.
#9 – it’s not black and white
The expression “it’s not black and white” means that there is not a clear distinction or an obvious difference, instead there is room for a middle ground, or it’s possible to have different degrees or interpretations.
#10 – black as ink / coal / night / a raven / pitch
Finally we have a number of expressions like as black as ink, as black as coal, as black as night, as black as a raven, as black as pitch – these all simply mean that the color of something is completely black.
BONUS – “I take my coffee black”
Those were our 10 expressions, but I’ll give you a bonus one – if you say “I take my coffee black” it means that you prefer it without any cream or sugar – just plain coffee, nothing added.
I hope you loved this lesson!
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