Flies the colours! Annoncer la couleur!

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Autumn, in New England, is an enchanting season offering not only sunny days with temperatures in the 70s degrees but also a gorgeous festival of colors.
This spectacular show, travelling from North to South has just reached its peak, here in Massachusetts, displaying a vibrant and flaming palette of yellow, gold, orange and reds.

L'automne en Nouvelle Angleterre est une saison délicieuse qui offre non seulement des journées ensoleillées, avec des températures dans les 20 degrés mais aussi un festival somptueux de couleurs.
Ce show spectaculaire qui se déplace du nord au sud vient juste d'atteindre son apogée ici dans le Massachusetts, déployant une palette de couleurs vibrantes et flamboyantes de jaunes, d'or, d'orange et de rouges.

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

Color idioms are widely used in language, giving the most pictorial and vivid image of the situation: White, black, blue, brown, green, red, yellow, pink, grey, golden are the main colors. Here are a few expressions using them: "En voir de toutes les couleurs " (lit: to see all colors!). To go through a hard time! "Annoncer la couleur" (lit: to tell the colours) To lay one's card on the table. This French expression dating from the 1930's comes from the card games, when the player must declare his intention to lay a color as a trump. "Rire jaune" : ( lit: to laugh yellow"): To give a hollow laugh. The yellow color carries a strong symbolic meaning which has to be traced back to the Middle-Ages. In medieval times, colors were present everywhere, however, people had a strong revulsion for plain yellow. In the Christian iconography yellow was associated with cowardliness (Judas was often depicted wearing yellow clothes), adultery (yellow the color of cuckolds). Yellow was the color of heretics and forgers. It also evoked illness (icterus disease). In the 17th century, the expression "rire jaune" designated a deceitful, betrayal laugh. Want some more? Broyer du noir: (lit: To crush black)= To be depressed - Voir la vie en rose: (lit: to see life in pink)= t0 see the beauty in life. Envoyer quelqu'un sur les roses: (lit: to send s.o on roses)= To tell s.owhere to get off. passer une nuit blanche: (lit: to spend a white night)= to spend a sleepless night. avoir une peur bleue: (lit: to have a bleue fear)= to have a bad scare. être fleur bleue: (lit: to be a blue flower)= to be naïvely sentimental. se mettre au vert: (lit: to put oneself at green)= To rest in the countryside. voir rouge: to see red. être marron: (lit : to be brown): to be fooled. être gris: (lit: to be grey): to be tipsy. etc... Which one did you prefer? Bonne semaine à tous!

To cost the eyes from one's head! Coûter les yeux de la tête! :-)

An elevated highway used to be at this very same place... $15 billion later, this monumental construction project, known as the "Big Dig" has come to an end this weekend, with the official celebration of the “Rose F. Kennedy Greenway”.
This attractive green corridor stretches from Chinatown to the Zakim Bridge and offers 1mile of parks and green place in the heart of Boston. More than 1,300 trees, various shrubs, perennials and groundcover have been planted along the greenway.
Click here to see the map of the walk.

Une autoroute surélevée se trouvait à cet endroit même... 15 milliards de dollars plus tard, ce projet monumental de travaux autoroutiers connu sous le nom “Big Dig » (gros trou), s'est terminé ce week-end avec la célébration officielle des « espaces verts Rose F Kennedy ».
Cette coulée verte attrayante, s'étire du quartier chinois jusqu'au pont Zakim et offre 2 kms de parcs et d’espaces verts en plein cœur de Boston.
Plus de 1.300 arbres, de buissons et de plantes vivaces ont été plantées tout du long.
Cliquez ici pour voir la carte de la promenade.

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

“ Coûter les yeux de la tête! " (lit: to cost the eyes from one's head!). To cost an arm and a leg ! Origin : This idiomatic expression appeared in the 19th century and may found its origin in the Middle-Ages with the veal. Indeed, at that time, veal was a symbol of wealth and regarded as the most delicious meat so much so that clergyman collected a tax called "le veau de dîme" (veal tithe). During the Renaissance until the end of the 18th century, a certain part of the veal, the veal's eyes, were considered as a supreme delicatessen and then very costly. For that reason, it can be safely assumed that the expression derivates from this culinary custom. And now, the equivalent colloquial expression is: "Cela coûte la peau des fesses!" (lit: it costs the skin off the bottom). “it cost an arm and a leg!” We don’t know where this figurative expression comes from. The fact is that there are many idioms in languages involving body parts. They have originated from everyday experience and therefore are quite relevant and effective. In the present case, some say that the expression could be related to the time when transport was by horse. Obviously riding horses for a long time means a lot of friction and stress on the buttocks. Needless to say that this anatomical part was precious then :-) Any better suggestion?