Colours & Emotion For March 2017

  1. Although we have a plethora of words in our vocabularies which make use of colour, it is unlikely that we each perceive colour in the same way. Here is a look at some fascinating colour-related idioms with examples. Tickled pink is a colour idiom. It means 'to be extremely thrilled, pleased or delighted regarding something.' It is believed that the phrase refers to the fact that when some people get excited, they literally change colour, and their skin turns quite pink just like when they blush. The blood vessels dilate and more blood flows close to the skin, which is literally being tickled pink! The idea is of enjoyment great enough to make the person go pink.

  2. Red in the face is another colour idiom. It means 'to become embarrassed about something.' The phrase 'red face' was already used in the late 1300s to refer to blushing due to shame. The white-skinned Europeans have a characteristic of temporary facial reddening that may be caused by embarrassment. The blood vessels widen and the white skin reddens. It is an unconscious reaction, and therefore people relate it to its cause.

  3. Browned off is another colour idiom. It means 'to be annoyed or bored with someone or something.' This expression originated as Royal Air Force slang for 'disgusted' and 'depressed' in the late 1930s and had crossed the Atlantic by the Second World War. Gradually, it came to be used more widely as a slang synonym for 'infuriated.' According to one theory by Eric Partridge in his slang dictionary, it alludes to brass buttons on a uniform turning brown due to the lack of polishing. However, he has also noted that the word had the same literal meaning as 'buggered'.

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Nature has bestowed us with exquisite colours, click here to discover the wonders of colour in nature.

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Gems and colours are intricately related; find out more about their association here.

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Colours & Fashion For March 2017

Silk Fabric

3000 years B.C., the Chinese used to apply enamel on their fingers, leaving it to sit for several hours, which resulted in a pink finish on their nails. This was the beginning of nail art! The Indians also practiced nail art using a dye derived from the Henna plant. Egyptians were another civilization that used nail art early on. Interestingly for women, the colour of one's nails was used to identify what class in society one belonged to. The higher class wore deep shades of red while the lower classes wore pale shades. The Inca civilization was a step ahead in nail art. They painted images of eagles on their fingertips. One of the first designs to become trendy was the 'moon manicure', which involved painting the middle of the nail while leaving the moon of the nail unpainted, which is still considered fashionable!

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There can't be a better language for emotions than colours, click here to explore.

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Colours &
Emotion

Gems and colours are intricately related; find out more about their association here.

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Colours &
Gems

Nature has bestowed us with exquisite colours, click here to discover the wonders of colour in nature.

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Colours &
Nature

Colours & Gems For March 2017

  1. Iolite is a magnesium aluminium silicate mineral and its name comes from the stone's violet colour. It is also found in different colours like transparent, light blue and yellowy grey. It has been compared to light blue sapphire and is known as water sapphire. It is also called Cordierite and Dichroite. It was one of the first gems to be used as a compass. Its important deposits are found mainly in Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Brazil. It is believed to be a stone of vision and creative expression and is thus used in the healing of eyesight.

  2. Labradorite is a gemstone which is a type of feldspar. It is named after the Canadian province of Labrador. It is considered valuable for its lustrous metallic reflections. According to Inuit lore, the Northern Lights used to be trapped inside rocks on the coast off the Labrador Peninsula. One day, they were found by an Inuit warrior who released them using his spear. Sadly, the warrior couldn't free all the lights and so some remained imprisoned in the rocks. This is the reason why Labradorite is found in the rocks of Labrador today. The iridescence appears as fascinating blue and rainbow-coloured reflections when light strikes the gem in a certain direction, causing a lovely sheen. Crystals with this colourful effect are used in carvings. This gemstone is believed to bring out the best in the wearer. It is also known as the self-esteem stone.

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There can't be a better language for emotions than colours, click here to explore.

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Colours &
Emotion

Fashion and colours go hand in hand, discover the secrets of this connection and up your style quotient here.

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Colours &
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Nature has bestowed us with exquisite colours, click here to discover the wonders of colour in nature.

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Colours &
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Colours & Nature For March 2017

white house with flowers
  1. The lilac-breasted roller derives its name from the fascinating tumbling and rolling flight that it performs during courtship. This aerial acrobat is a wonderful sight as its colourful wings are on full display. A lilac chest is the identifying feature of the bird. It has a pale pinkish-orange face with a whitish chin. It has elongated tail streamers with dull tips that wear away to show darker colours. When the wings are spread, they are absolutely eye-catching. The bird prefers to perch itself on bushy, savannah dry woodland trees and is considered to be a territorial bird.

  2. The California Red-Sided Garter snake is dark olive to almost black. The head is olive, red or orange. It has prominent yellow stripe down the back with less prominent stripes along its sides. There are red bars alternating with the background colour on the sides. The underside is either yellow-green or blue. Interestingly, the stripes resemble garters men used to wear to hold up their socks. There is another theory that the name is a corruption of the German word for 'garden' which is why the snake is also called 'garden snake'.

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There can't be a better language for emotions than colours, click here to explore.

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Colours &
Emotion

Gems and colours are intricately related; find out more about their association here.

Read More

Colours &
Gems

Fashion and colours go hand in hand, discover the secrets of this connection and up your style quotient here.

Read More

Colours &
Fashion