Camp Chat : colors in the world

Discussion in 'Week 1 ( June 30 - July 6): Camp Kickoff' started by ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 1:04 AM.

  1. Jul 5, 2025 at 1:04 AM #1
    ninigoesdigi

    ninigoesdigi Designer

    Messages:
    2,711
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    How are you all doing? Well I hope and also that you are enjoying our summer camp!

    We've been talking about colors a lot for this first week with the scrap challenges and as I was just getting ready palying in the Ready, Set, Go scrap challenge I noticed how English speakers talk about yellow traffic lights. Japanese too say it's yellow but I am French and we've always said orange light.

    One other color that is different in Japan than France and also English-speaking countries is green. They say "blue light". :giggle
    Their green apple is actually "ao ringo" therefore blue apple. I think that one doesn't set with me the most :overreact
    Even young green leaves are "blue leaves" :dizzy

    [​IMG]

    As I was looking for a picture to illustrate this I found this article explaining the reason behind.
    I think I heard about it some time ago but I am glad I found it again as it helps me understand better the country I live in.
    https://www.rd.com/article/heres-japan-blue-traffic-lights/

    Do you have any other examples like this in your mother tongues? Color of things, or some expressions, idioms with different colors than other countries because of cultural reasons or something else.

    Come here and share a rainbow of fun cutural facts with me! :grouphug
     
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 1:04 AM
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 1:04 AM
    #1
    Brendazzle likes this.
  2. Jul 5, 2025 at 4:43 AM #2
    CathQuillScrap

    CathQuillScrap All I need is Garfield and a good book

    Messages:
    1,702
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2019
    Wow super interesting read @ninigoesdigi
    In South Africa it is called yellow (sometimes even amber) ... but we refer to traffic lights as "robots" which can be very confusing for giving directions to tourists.
     
    CathQuillScrap, Jul 5, 2025 at 4:43 AM
    CathQuillScrap, Jul 5, 2025 at 4:43 AM
    #2
    trekmom, Angela Toucan and ninigoesdigi like this.
  3. Jul 5, 2025 at 5:06 AM #3
    Angela Toucan

    Angela Toucan I keep looking for THAT wardrobe

    Messages:
    8,983
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2017
    I'm in England and we say red, amber, green for our traffic lights.
     
    Angela Toucan, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:06 AM
    Angela Toucan, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:06 AM
    #3
    trekmom, fruitysuet and ninigoesdigi like this.
  4. Jul 5, 2025 at 5:35 AM #4
    tanteva

    tanteva Even the professionals are bewildered

    Messages:
    2,864
    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2011
    We say red, yellow and green re the traffic lights here in Sweden.

    I was actually thinking about a Swedish saying yesterday. You can say that a person is "envis som en röd gris" - "stubborn like a red pig". I have no idea why or where it comes from. I sure never has seen a red pig.
     
    tanteva, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:35 AM
    tanteva, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:35 AM
    #4
    trekmom likes this.
  5. Jul 5, 2025 at 5:47 AM #5
    ninigoesdigi

    ninigoesdigi Designer

    Messages:
    2,711
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    Indeed! Nor have I lol
     
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:47 AM
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:47 AM
    #5
    trekmom and tanteva like this.
  6. Jul 5, 2025 at 5:47 AM #6
    ninigoesdigi

    ninigoesdigi Designer

    Messages:
    2,711
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    Amber? Really?! That's a beautiful way to say it.
     
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:47 AM
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:47 AM
    #6
    trekmom and Angela Toucan like this.
  7. Jul 5, 2025 at 5:48 AM #7
    ninigoesdigi

    ninigoesdigi Designer

    Messages:
    2,711
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    I would be the first one to be surprised indeed. Or think you must have a pretty advanced type of life to have robots in the streets lol
     
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:48 AM
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 5:48 AM
    #7
    trekmom and Angela Toucan like this.
  8. Jul 5, 2025 at 6:05 AM #8
    Lynne-Marie

    Lynne-Marie there is beauty in everything

    Messages:
    7,098
    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2011
    In Quebec, when you pass on the yellow and it turns red before you’re through, we say jaune-orange, meaning orange-tinted yellow, but that’s meant as a joke. Some also say jaune saignant, meant blood-tinted yellow… :giggle. I haven’t heard the French Acadians (New Brunswick) use that expression though.
     
    Lynne-Marie, Jul 5, 2025 at 6:05 AM
    Lynne-Marie, Jul 5, 2025 at 6:05 AM
    #8
    ninigoesdigi, trekmom, Brendazzle and 2 others like this.
  9. Jul 5, 2025 at 12:51 PM #9
    elseepe

    elseepe I'll follow the sun

    Messages:
    2,145
    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2013
    I don't have anything color wise -- but a couple of deep South (United States) sayings that are different from the western part of the US. Of course, things may have changed as I haven't been back to the southeastern US in quite a few years.

    In the South, it's always a Coke -- I'll have a coke (no it doesn't necessarily mean that brand)
    Sweet tea is popular in the South and comes standard when you order iced tea unless you specify (or it used to, and it is very sweet)
    y'all -- I was teased so badly when I was a young adult in my first career job in California that I quit using the phrase
     
    elseepe, Jul 5, 2025 at 12:51 PM
    elseepe, Jul 5, 2025 at 12:51 PM
    #9
    ninigoesdigi likes this.
  10. Jul 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM #10
    Annsofie

    Annsofie Crime Books & Cozy Nooks

    Messages:
    2,649
    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2017
    More Swedish expressions here:
    Blåneka = Blue denial = You’re denying having done anything wrong (even though there is proof you made it)
    En röd tråd = A red thread = There is a theme or consistency from the beginning till the end (for example in a book or in a play)
    Svartmåla = Black painting = Speak bad about a person in front of others
     
    Annsofie, Jul 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM
    Annsofie, Jul 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM
    #10
    ninigoesdigi likes this.
  11. Jul 5, 2025 at 4:51 PM #11
    Rachel Jefferies

    Rachel Jefferies Designer

    Messages:
    7,327
    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2011
    The Blue denial reminds me of how we talk, there are expressions such as 'i tried until i was blue in the face' and similar, talking with big effort but with little effect!

    The red thread rings true too, I have a book called red thread thinking . . . (Weaving Together Connections for Brilliant Ideas and Profitable Innovation)

    And yes as Angela said, in england we refer to the 'yellow' light as actually amber
     
    Rachel Jefferies, Jul 5, 2025 at 4:51 PM
    Rachel Jefferies, Jul 5, 2025 at 4:51 PM
    #11
    ninigoesdigi likes this.
  12. Jul 5, 2025 at 9:03 PM #12
    ninigoesdigi

    ninigoesdigi Designer

    Messages:
    2,711
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    Oh my I get that... I say "orange foncé" (dark orange) or even sometimes "rouge foncé" (dark red) :lmao

    I like the jaune saignant :lol
     
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 9:03 PM
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 9:03 PM
    #12
    Lynne-Marie likes this.
  13. Jul 5, 2025 at 9:05 PM #13
    ninigoesdigi

    ninigoesdigi Designer

    Messages:
    2,711
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    How interesting! So many color idioms. But I definitely wouldn't get the meaning at first hand. Thos would totally get me thinking a lot to what it could mean.
     
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 9:05 PM
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 9:05 PM
    #13
  14. Jul 5, 2025 at 9:09 PM #14
    ninigoesdigi

    ninigoesdigi Designer

    Messages:
    2,711
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    Oh yes we have this kind of sayings different from regions in France too I think. My birth region is Bretagne so we have Breton still alive as a language (I don't speak it but I know a few words my grandma would tell me) and when we use them elsewhere it doesn't mean a thing for others lol

    On a "different country level", it makes me think of the way Japanese say McDonald. They just say Mc. We go to the Mcc, I had Mc. And in French a "Mac" (sound wise) is a pimp (a mackerel in French) lol lol So it makes me laugh inside each time lol
     
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 9:09 PM
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 9:09 PM
    #14
  15. Jul 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM #15
    IntenseMagic

    IntenseMagic Some grannies cuss a lot. I'm some grannies.

    Messages:
    12,562
    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2012
    That was super interesting, Nini!!
    It made me think of these trees that we have in our area. They are Redbud Trees, but this is what they look like:
    redbud.jpg

    They are as purple as they can be lol. I read somewhere they they got their name because the initial buds are more of a red color.

    Also, red onions
    red onion.jpg

    Evidently, at one time, they were used for making red dyes.
     
    IntenseMagic, Jul 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM
    IntenseMagic, Jul 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM
    #15
    ninigoesdigi likes this.
  16. Jul 5, 2025 at 10:19 PM #16
    ninigoesdigi

    ninigoesdigi Designer

    Messages:
    2,711
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    Oh true! Both in France and Japan they call those red onions too!

    I think as scrappers, and designer in my case, we are pretty on point when it comes to colors and red for purple is a bit disturbing, right? lol lol
     
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 10:19 PM
    ninigoesdigi, Jul 5, 2025 at 10:19 PM
    #16

Share This Page