idioms involving “red”

See red

To become suddenly angry or annoyed

“The office manager sees red when he arrives early at the office and finds the lights and coffee pot were left on all night.”

Note: In bullfighting, the matador waves a red cape to make the bull charge at him.

A red-letter day

A very important or special day

“Wednesday will be a red-letter day because our sales will reach one million units per month.”

Note: Important days and holidays are often printed in red on calendars.

In the red

To owe or to lose money

“Our accountant wants to cancel this project because it is in the red.”

Note: Accountants use red ink to indicate a loss or a negative number.

Turn red

To become embarrassed

“Otera-san turned red when her co-workers started teasing her about her new boyfriend.”

Catch someone red-handed

To catch someone while they are doing something wrong

“Takeya-san’s laptop was stolen at the airport ticket counter but the thief was caught red-handed a few minutes later.”