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| Colorful English! | ||||
| Word or Phrase: | Part of Speech: | Idiom or General?: | Usage? | Restricted? |
| off-color or off-colored | noun | 1) general 2) idiom |
1) less common 2) more common |
1) No 2) No, but see note. |
| Meaning: | ||||
| 1) not having the right color, or turning colors or pale.
2) of a minor impropriety or mildly indecent. | ||||
| Example(s): | ||||
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First meaning I am afraid this paint won't do for the living room, since it is so off-color. Second meaning In the old days, men did not tell off-color jokes in the presence of a lady. | ||||
| Note: off-color or off-colored itself is not indecent, but what it REFERS to may be. | ||||