Idioms enrich our language by adding color to the mundane. When it comes to idioms involving colors, “white” features prominently, symbolizing purity, peace, and sometimes, simplicity. In this blog post, we explore 20 white idioms that are commonly used in English, providing you with a brief meaning and an example for each to help you understand and use them effectively in everyday conversation.
White Idioms In English
1. White lie
Meaning: Harmless or trivial lie.
Example: “I told a white lie about her dress.”
2. White as a sheet
Meaning: Very pale.
Example: “He was white as a sheet after the scare.”
3. White elephant
Meaning: Costly, unprofitable investment.
Example: “That old car is a white elephant.”
4. White-knuckle
Meaning: Extremely tense.
Example: “It was a white-knuckle ride.”
5. White flag
Meaning: Surrender.
Example: “He raised the white flag in defeat.”
6. White-collar
Meaning: Pertaining to office or professional work.
Example: “He has a white-collar job.”
7. Whitewash
Meaning: Cover up faults or errors.
Example: “The report was a whitewash.”
8. White noise
Meaning: Background noise used to mask other sounds.
Example: “I sleep with white noise.”
9. White-hot
Meaning: Intensely hot or passionate.
Example: “The debate became white-hot.”
10. White feather
Meaning: Symbol of cowardice.
Example: “He was given the white feather.”
11. Show the white feather
Meaning: Act cowardly.
Example: “He showed the white feather during the argument.”
12. Whiteout
Meaning: Severe blizzard or loss of visibility.
Example: “We were stuck in a whiteout.”
13. White as snow
Meaning: Pure or innocent.
Example: “Her reputation is white as snow.”
14. White heat of technology
Meaning: The forefront of technological development.
Example: “They’re at the white heat of innovation.”
15. White bread
Meaning: Something very ordinary or basic.
Example: “His tastes are pretty white bread.”
16. White Russian
Meaning: A cocktail made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream.
Example: “He ordered a White Russian at the bar.”
17. White knight
Meaning: Rescuer or savior.
Example: “The company was saved by a white knight investor.”
18. Bleed someone white
Meaning: Drain financially.
Example: “The repairs bled me white.”
19. White Christmas
Meaning: Christmas with snow on the ground.
Example: “We’re dreaming of a white Christmas.”
20. As white as driven snow
Meaning: Extremely pure or innocent.
Example: “Her motives are as white as driven snow.”
