It’s finally feeling like Spring and green is the go – the limey citrus of new buds, the bright emerald of spring rain on lawn. Grow green grow!
Green Facts
Green is growth, freshness, nature, fertility, life, ecology, naivety, youth, inexperience, envy, jealous, sickness, money and prosperity.
It is also a verb: ‘to go green’, ‘greening the suburb’.
The modern English word green comes from the Middle English and Anglo-Saxon word grene, from the same Germanic root as the words ‘grass’ and ‘grow’
Without Chlorophyll (the essential component in photosynthesis), we wouldn’t have most of the green we see every day.
It is the colour of the Roman Goddess of love Venus. It is the traditional colour of Islam; and is also associated strongly with Catholicism.
In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, green was worn by merchants, bankers and the gentry and their families.
The most famously pictured woman in the world, The Mona Lisa, wears green.
Green is both lucky and unlucky: a green shamrock is lucky, green race cars are not. Green may symbolise bad news in Israel or infidelity in China, but is definitely lucky in Ireland.
Some famous characters associated with green
- Santa Claus was often traditionally depicted wearing green; it wasn’t until Coca-Cola dressed St Nic in its signature red that the current costuming stuck.
- Leprechauns
- Fairies and elves are traditionally green
- Peter Pan and Tinkerbell
- The Green Lantern
- The Hulk
- The Wizard of Oz (and all the inhabitants of Emerald City), as well as the Wicked Witch of the West
- Yoda
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Frankenstein
- The Green Goblin (Spiderman)
- Kermit the Frog
- Mike Wazowski (Monsters Inc)
- Shrek (and Fiona)
- Gumby
- Oscar the Grouch
- The Grinch
- Robin Hood
Shades of green
Lime, forest, moss, British racing, emerald, peridot, malachite, summer, spring, jungle, grass, olive, khaki, fern, pine, shamrock, clover, mint, tea, teal, football field, laurel, army, celadon, Paris, sea, jade, harlequin, neon, Brunswick, bottle, apple, chartreuse, hunter, pistachio, French lime, electric, dollar bill, Dartmouth, Castleton, Carribean, cal poly, bud, avocado, asparagus, android, Amazon, acid, viridian, granny smith, guppie, India, Kelly, La Salle, lawn, limerick, Lincoln, mantis, May, aquamarine, myrtle, mountain meadow, pear, office, rifle.
Some green idioms
A green thumb – a good gardener.
The green-eyed monster – jealous and envy are lurking. Also green with envy.
The green room – the waiting and rest area for actors or TV guests, before they head on stage.
Green around the gills – someone who is looking sick.
Give the green light – it’s a go
Greenhorn – an inexperienced person
Green belt – an area of fields or trees around a town or city
Greenwashing – promoting positive environmental practices within an organisation in order to cover up the destructive environmental impact the said organisation has had.
Going green – becoming more environmentally conscious.
The grass is always greener on the other side – other people’s circumstances always look better when you’re looking in rather than living them.