IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishuntil one is blue in the face
Meaning: For as long as one likes, with no result.
Example: “You can complain until you're blue in the face; the rules won't change.”
Origin: Someone who talks or strains until the face changes color has spent all their breath for nothing. The phrase is recorded from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Russian: до посинения (do posineniya) Literally: Until blueness
More English idioms
- an accident waiting to happen Someone or something very likely to cause trouble or harm.
- on a wing and a prayer Only just managing, with luck rather than means.
- welcome to the club Said to someone who has just joined you in a shared situation, usually an unwelcome one.
- tell me another one Said to someone whose story is obviously untrue.
- go off the rails To lose control of one's life or behavior.
- there's nothing for it There is no other choice.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- Komorebi The dappled light that filters through leaves and scatters across the ground.
- Schadenfreude The guilty little pleasure of taking satisfaction in someone else's misfortune.
- Wabi-sabi Finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and the worn or incomplete.
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