Colour words in English and other languages

Coloured pencils.

Words For Colour Vary In Other Languages

Most languages have words for colours. A notable exception is the Amazon (south American) group whose language in Pirahã, who have no single words for colours but use comparisons such as sun-like for yellow and blood-like.

Some languages have only two words. One word is for all light colours. Another word is for all dark colours. The ancient Greeks had these all encompassing words.

Disused Word In English - Indigo

The English language has changed words for colour. Some are less used. I only use indigo when reciting the colours of the rainbow. I had to look up what it was. I keep forgetting.

A New Word In English - orange

We have added a new word for colour. English now has the word for orange, taken from the fruit.

Supposedly from Spanish for the fruit. Naranja. The English approximation, a norange reputedly evolved into an orange, then the colour orange. 

Previously the colour was called red. Hence the terms red hair, red robin, red squirrel. They describe what we would now call orange.

Black - used in words and phrases

blackberry

black currant

black day

black look

black market

black power

black sheep

Black tie - formal wear for weddings, black for men, not for women, because black is for funerals

Blackout curtains - from World War Two, drawn at night to cut out light to protect homes from bombing. 

Jet black - expensive gemstone

Little black dress - sophisticated cocktail party time evening wear

Coal black

Black and White - Zebra crossing for pedestrians crossing roads in the UK

Famously used in the song composed and sung by Amy Winehouse, 'I go back to black'.

Black is beautiful

French is noir, Italian Nero - as in Caffe Nero. German Schwarz.

Blue

The ancient Greeks had no word for the colour blue.

Some languages have different words for light and dark blue, like English navy blue and powder blue.

blue berry

Feeling blue (sad)

The blues (music)

Blue for boys (previously the colour worn by boys was red from the adult soldier's battle uniform which was blood colour

Navy blue.

The colour blue is used in the songs: Blue Suede Shoes (Elvis).Don't it make my brown eyes blue (Crystal Gayle). Blue Bayou. Blue eyed boy (song sung by French singer Edith Piaf).

Gray

USA spelling gray.

UK spelling grey.

Battleship grey.

Pink

Pink for girls (Previously for men, whose red battle uniforms faded to pink). 

Pink (Originally from pinks, flowers of that colour.)

Salmon pink

Blush (for wines)

White

Wedding white

Bridal dress for Queen Victoria's daughter, associated with luxury because before washing machines keeping whites clean was a chore, with a once a week washday.

But white is for shrouds, funerals, in Asia, so there brides wear red.

Snow white

The fairy tale, which many people know from the movies.

white wine

White grapes, which produce white wine, are usually nearer green in colour.

Purple - royal purple

Once a Royal colour because the dye was expensive and rare.

It used to be the colour of half mourning in Victorian times, worn from six months after the death until the end of the year of mourning.

Green

Eat your greens

Green fingers - ability to grow plants

Lime Green

On the green

Pistachio

Grass green

Olive Green

Village green

Variations: bottle green, emerald green.

The Green-eyed monster. (Jealousy)

Green in French is vert, Italian is Verdi, Spanish verde.

Red

red currant

Lucky colour in Asia, and for wedding dresses

Red and white 

Blood red

Blood and bandages - previously not worn as a wedding colour mixture

Dark red - Burgundy / Bordeaux / wine colour / claret

Red wine

Red light (traffic signal)

Red light district (Area of prostitution, named after lighting)

Red flag - warning sign in sports and the military

Colour of sunrise and sunset

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight

Violet

Violet (flowers)

Yellow

Yellow card - warning issued by a referee in football. Two yellow cards means one red which means you are out of the game.

Yellow peril - attributed to French and German sources. Now outdated.

Yellow fever - can cause yellowing of the skin, jaundice.

Lemon yellow

Colour of the sun

Silver

Gold

Colours of gold can be yellow, white.

Cream

Rainbow

Colours of the rainbow

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Indigo

Violet

Websites On Colour Names & Terms

Memory Aids For Colours of the Rainbow

Read out your green book in verse.

Richard of York gave battle in vain.

Websites on Colour

You can find colours of paints, and computer colours.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_term

Lights in London suburbs - Kingsbury near Queensbury

 Lovely lights in London suburbs. Driving around London in December, like driving around Singapore, or the USA, is a delight. Somebody in every street has outdone all the others with strings of lights and illuminated figures, such as trees, and animals such as reindeer. 

Delightful House Lights in Salmon Street. Kingsbury, near Queensbury. North London, England, UK. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Sometimes the lights are so delightful, that I ask the driver to stop the car so that I can photograph without car shake. Then I can get out and cross the road and photograph the lights from close up. Avoiding obtruding lamp posts, parked cars, hunchbacks walking along with tail-wagging dogs blurring the picture.

Somebody is hooting. Is that a demand that the parked driver move? Or simple to warn that a car is overtaking.

I run back to the kerb. But remember to pause so that I don't dash into the road in front of approaching vehicles from both directions, including invisible and silent bicycles.

Back home, I can edit the pictures, cutting out pavements, huge skies, unsightly litter and litter bins. Until I have the perfect picture.

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Euston Station - Nearby Eating And Meeting Places

The Pub with outside seating.

Whilst waiting for a train, and meeting up with others, you can buy from machines and hole in the wall kiosks and sit at tiny tables in a big public seating area. I have done this, keeping a tight hand on my luggage with people coming and going

You can also take the escalator up, and stairs down, to fast food places upstairs. Again, people at adjoining tables were so fast, I keep a foot on my luggage to make sure it did not run off with a passers-by. 

Outside in a kind of courtyard. Again I felt rushed. People at the next table changed twice in the time it took us to drink a cup of coffee and wolf down a sandwich or muffin.

For a more leisurely meeting I found two more close by options. At the entrance, if you like loud thumping music, there's a pub with outside areas for smokers.

The Pub entrance.

 

Friends Meeting House, Seed Café. The quieter area by the books. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Angela's Seasonal Xmas Quiz for travellers

 Where will you find a black cake at Christmas? What does Feliz Navidad mean? 

Do the quiz and check the answers to compare the number you get right with other members of your friends and family.  Learn the answers, and get all completely right by doing the quiz again.

See how many points you get. I hope it is not pointless.

 A The word croissant means

1 Crescent, in French

2 Cooked, in French

3 Cross shaped in French

4 Crescent in Italian 

B Spumante means

1 Sparkling in Italian

2 Sparkling in French

3 Spilled in Spanish

C Rosé means

1 Rose coloured in French

2 Rose shaped in Spanish

3 Rose perfumed in Italian

D Whiskey

1 Comes from Scotland

2 Comes from Ireland and America

3 Comes from Native Indians

E Whisky

1 Comes from Scotland

2 Comes from Ireland

3 Comes from Antarctica

F Christmas Pudding

1 Traditionally contains only a silver sixpence

2 Traditionally contains a three penny bit, sixpence, pea, bean or thimble

3 Traditionally contains a gold coin or gold foil wrapped fruit

Xmas crackers

G Christmas Crackers

1 Are named after the sound they make when pulled

2 Are named after the two creases

3 Are named after their appearance when pulled apart

H Christmas Crackers were invented by 

1 Tom Smith

2 Tom Jones

3 Billy Bunter

I In England at Christmas at tea time you eat

1 Christmas cake

2 Mince Pies

3 Christmas cake or mince pies

J The Yule Log comes from

1 England

2 Scotland

2 France

K Stollen comes from

1 Germany

2 Russia

3 Canada

L Panettone comes from

1 Spain and Italy

2 France and Portugal

3 Australia and New Zealand

M At Christmas in Belize they eat

1 White cake

2 Black cake, sometimes with Yellow cake

3 Green cake 

N Champagne comes from

1 France

2 Spain

3 Italy

4 France, and the USA under license

O Cava comes from

1 France

2 Spain

3 Italy

P Prosecco comes from

1 Spain

2 Italy

3 Portugal

Q Sherry comes from

1 France

2 Spain

3 Madeira

R Madeira comes from

1 Spain

2 Madeira which is Portuguese

3 Italy

S Christmas Day is Dec 25

1 In the lunar calendar

2 In the Gregorian Calendar

3 In the Julian Calendar

T Dec 26 Is

1 Boxing Day only

2 St Stephen's Day only

3 Both Boxing Day and St Stephen's Day in different countries

U A hanukiah is

1 The same as the menorah - 7 branches, for 7 days of the week

2 Has only 8 branches, for the 8 day festival

3 Has 9 branches, 8 plus the helper candle to light the others

V

Champagne is 

1 The shape of the bottle

2 A region of France and name of the drink

3 The name of the man who invented the bubbly drink

4 The name of a grape

W The Star of David (Jewish star, also called the seal of Solomon by Moslems)_

1 Has 5 points

2 Has 8 points

3 Has six points

4 Has any number of points

X Feliz Navidad is Spanish for

1 Happy Birthday

2 Congratulations

3 Happy New Year

4 Happy Christmas

Y Traditionally in the UK you kiss under

1 Holly

2 Mistletoe

3 The Christmas tree

Z What is the official name of the UK royal broadcast on Christmas Day

1 The Queen's Speech or the King's Speech

2 The Christmas message because the Queen's Speech or King's Speech opens Parliament

Answers

A1 B1 C1 D2 E1 F1 G1 H1 I3 J2 K1 l  L1 M2 N1

O2 P2 Q2 R2 S2 T3 U3 V2 W3 X4 Y2 Z2

-ends-

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Kilburn Station's beautiful bridge

 

Kilburn station railway bridge over the road. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The letters spell out Metropolitan Railway. The date is 1914. 

More information from

Websites on Kilburn Station

London Transport

Wikipedia

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The Reason For The Eight Lights and Fewer On the Hanukiahs worldwide

Mincemeat tart with pastry forming a six point star, at John Lewis, Brent Cross shopping centre.

Singapore Hanukah Lights

I remember seeing a giant Hanukiah in central Orchard Road in Singapore. Only three candles were lit. I thought, 'What a shame. They have spent a lot of money making that lovely sculpture, monument, and the electrics have failed.'

I did not realise that it was the third day of Hanukah so three lights are lit. I discovered this when a girl from London arrived to stay and she had brought with her a candelabra, a candle holder, and a set of candles, which she left with me as a gift.

London Lights For Hanukah

 In Central London the best known location is Trafalgar Square. It has the largest Hanukiah in Europe. The lights are lit up from the first day of Hanukah, on December 14 until the last day, eight days later, Dec 22.

 Hanukah is a Jewish festival, celebrating the lighting of the candles in the temple in Jerusalem, when Jews were able to rededicate the temple after the Roman leader had tried to install Roman Gods. The story goes that there was not enough pure oil, the Romans had sacrificed a pig, deliberately to desecrate the temple. I don't know why it was so difficult to get a supply of oil. However, it seems that it took eight days, but the little oil they had which should have lasted only one day, lasted eight days, a miracle.

The Candles of  Hanukiah

The festival is also called the Festival of Lights. On the first day, one candle is lit, using a second helper candle. One the second day a second candle, total three. Until on the last day all eight are lit, nine if you count the helper candle.

Sets of Candles

If you buy hanukiah and a set of candles, you will have a box of 44 candles. Not just eight. Why so many? I automatically tried to add them up, 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8, plus 8 more for the central, more rarely on the side, candle used to light the others. The usual way of counting is starting with two on day one, the first candle and the helper candle, called a shamach. 1+1=2,  ... 8+1=9.

Oil Based Food

In synagogues and other places where celebrations are held. oil based food, usually donuts, is served. Greeting cards will show oil and oil based food.

 Often children are supplied with kits to make a hanukiah during the 8 days, on the first day. You may have to go early and sign up in advance, because the number of kits may depend on the budget for the number of children expected.

Did Jesus Celebrate Hanukah?

Yes. Jesus celebrated the festival, the Feast of Dedication, as it was then called, as recorded in the New Testament in the gospel of John 10.22.

Useful Websites About Hanukah

Wikipedia Hanukah

Haukah candles

Hanukah history

Update on Dec 15 2025

https://www.thetimes.com/world/australasia/article/sydney-shooting-antisemitism-attack-jewish-holiday-chanukkah-zkk6dvt7d

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Where Can You See Hanukah Symbols And Lights In London?

 In Central London the best known location is Trafalgar Square. It has the largest Hanukiah in Europe.

The lights are lit up from the first day of Hanukah, on December 14 until the last day, eight days later, Dec 22. 

Out in the suburbs, I saw lights 

1 In front of Edgware station, 

2 In Stanmore, approaching from the station, on the right as you reach the shops.

3 On a roundabout near Brent Cross Shopping Mall.

Nine branch hanukiah and Happy Chanukah sign. Near Brent Cross Shopping Mall. Photo by Angela Lansbury. The large device is electric. The smaller sign on the poster is stylized  but suggests wax candles with flames.

Six point star on mine tart at The Plaice To Eat in John Lewis department store, Brent Cross shopping mall. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

4 You will see several displays inside shops. For example, John Lewis in Brent Cross, in the crockery department. 

Happy Hanukah, at John Lewis department store, Brent Cross shopping mall. Table display. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The Hanukiah And Menorah - What's The Difference?

The menorah is used on Friday nights, with seven candles for the seven days of the week.

The Hanukiah is used during the eight day festival of Hanukah. It has more candle holders, eight, plus the central or end holder for the candle which lights the others.

How Do You Spell Hanukah?

I have seen the simplest spelling, Hanukah, also Hannukah, and Chanukah. When the word is translated from Hebrew into English, there is not standard spelling, the same as translating names and words from Indian languages and other languages.

Hanukah is the festival. Hanukiah is the candelabra.

Useful Websites For Hanukah Lights In London

Brent Cross

Edgware

Golders Green

John Lewis

Stanmore

See next post for the history of Hanukah.

Update on Dec 15 2025

https://www.thetimes.com/world/australasia/article/sydney-shooting-antisemitism-attack-jewish-holiday-chanukkah-zkk6dvt7d