show colour
To get angry, to scowl.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He started to show colour when I asked about the broken vase.”
“My neighbor shows colour whenever someone parks in front of his driveway.”
“Do not show colour just because you lost the game.”
“The manager began to show colour as the team explained why the project was delayed again.”
“You might see the chef show colour if the servers keep sending back plates because the food is cold.”
“The bus driver showed colour after waiting ten minutes for the passenger to find her lost ticket.”
“The landlord showed colour when he noticed the new tenants had painted the living room walls bright purple without asking for his permission first.”
“Though he usually maintained a calm exterior, he began to show colour when the witness contradicted his testimony.”
disputed origin
The idiom is possibly derived from the nautical practice of showing one's true colours, though it is used specifically to denote the emergence of ill temperament through an exhibition of anger. The origin remains a matter of some uncertainty, suggesting that the display of one's disposition is a variation on the older habit of revealing a ship’s national affiliation.
- 01
dog and pony show
Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate, while lacking real substance.
- 02
get the show on the road
To begin or launch; to get going.
- 03
have something to show for something
To have (some profit, reward, benefit, etc.) as a result of (one's work, expenditure, etc.)
- 04
horror show
A horrifying, appalling, or sickening experience, set of events, or visual spectacle.
- 05
horse of a different color
An unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.
- 06
keep the show on the road
To be able to proceed with a plan or project, often in the face of difficult circumstances.
- 07
make a show of oneself
To embarrass oneself or others in public.
- 08
run the show
To be the leader, to be in charge.
Last updated August 10, 2026