In Britain, the phrase “off color” has always indicated that someone might feel under the weather because the color of their skin has changed from its normal hue to pale.
In America the expression “off color” has a related but different meaning.
When someone says something that is considered sexually shocking or impolite, it will often cause those listening to blush from a rush of blood that changes their skin color to red.
So the story that caused the skin color change is referred to as being off color.
Related Posts
-
Where Did the Expression “A Horse of a Different Colour” Originate and What Does the Phrase Mean?
"A horse of a different color" is a separate issue from the business at hand and comes from horse trading. When horses are born, their official registration includes a record of their color.…
-
What Does the Expression “Until the Cows Come Home” Mean and Where Did the Phrase Come From?
If left to their own devices, cows in pasture will regularly show up at the barn for milking twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The expression "'til…
-
Where Does the Phrase “Chewing the Fat” Come From and What Does the Expression Mean?
During the twentieth century, "chewing the fat" came to mean passing time with informal small talk. The phrase originated with the grumbling of nineteenth-century British sailors whose lean diet was often nothing more…
-
Where does the phrase “to rain cats and dogs” come from and What does the expression mean?
When we use the phrase "to rain cats and dogs" we don't refer to a gentle shower, but to a terrific downpour. Perhaps, because such rain is usually accompanied by heavy thunder and…
-
What does the phrase “the dog house” mean and Where does the expression come from?
Aside from the literal sense, this modern expression "the dog house" is used to mean that a person is undergoing punishment of some sort. It is usually used to denote the treatment, mental…
-
Where Did the Phrase “Caught Red Handed” Come From and What Does the Expression Mean?
The word "redhand" goes back to the fifteenth century Scottish people and became "red-handed" within judicial circles in Britain during the eighteenth century. It means that someone has been caught in the act…
