This week I looked up idioms that reference my favourite colour in The Dictionary of Clichés. I hope you enjoy reading about their origins.

Blue Blood

“Of high or noble birth.”

This is a translation of the Spanish sangre azul. Spanish aristocrats whose ancestors had not intermarried with the Moors, Jews, or other races had pale skin so their veins showed bluer than those with darker skin. The phrase was used in England starting in the early nineteenth century.

Blue Funk

“In a sad or dejected mood.”

Interestingly, Phrase Finder says that this phrase has two distinct origins. In the UK it was coined in the 1850s and means “in a state of nervousness.” In this case “blue” is just an intensifier for “funk,” which means a state of anxiety. In the US the word “funk” meaning a state of gloom, was imported from Scotland. “Blue” meaning sad was added to intensify the phrase.

Blue Ribbon

“Of outstanding excellence; also first prize.”

The blue ribbon is the badge of honour of the Order of the Garter founded by King Edward III circa 1350. The story goes that a lady lost her blue garter at a ball and the king picked it up; when he saw the guests’ smirks he said, “Honi soit qui mal y pense” (“Shame on him who thinks evil”), which became the motto of the order. Since the Order of the Garter is the most senior order of British knighthood, the meaning of “blue ribbon” becomes clear.

To Be Blue in the Face

“To have made a great effort.”

The literal meaning is to talk until you’re breathless (blue from lack of oxygen), but the phrase can be applied more widely.

Once in a Blue Moon

“Very rarely; once in a long while.”

According to Phrase Finder, “once in a blue moon” originally referred to something that was impossible (examples are found in 16th century writings) and later to something rare. In astronomical terms, “blue moon” refers to the third full moon in a season that has four full moons (this occurs about once every three years).

Scream Blue Murder

“To shout loudly in pain, fear, or anger.”

Blue murder appears to be a play on the obsolete French curse “morbleu” (blue death), in which “bleu” is used instead of “dieu” (God).

Talk a Blue Streak

“To talk fast and intensely, virtually without stopping.”

This phrase seems to refer to lightning, “which sometimes appears as a blue streak in the sky.”