Wordwise: Patterns and Colours Quiz

Answer: Green with envy

The word "with" written in green leads us to "green with envy".

Someone who has a strong desire to have something that someone else has got (e.g. possessions, status, health) can be said to be green with envy.

Answer: Checkered past

The word "past" with a checkered pattern leads us to "checkered past".

Politicians often attempt to uncover any wrongdoings their opponents may have committed - their checkered past - in order to swing the electorate's vote in their own favour.

Answer: Every cloud has a silver lining

Each of the clouds has an outline that is silver, leading us to "every cloud has a silver lining".

Optimists will often advise people who are going through a difficult time that "every cloud has a silver lining" - in other words, positive things always come out of adversity.

Answer: The boy in the striped pyjamas

The words "the boy" are inside the word "pyjamas", which has a striped pattern, hence "The boy in the striped pyjamas".

The 2006 John Boyne novel "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas", which focused on the atrocities of a Nazi extermination camp in World War II, was made into a movie of the same name in 2008.

Answer: Bolt from the blue

A lightning bolt is coming from the word "the" which is written in blue, hence "bolt from the blue".

It would be a surprise if a lightning bolt was to appear from a blue sky free from clouds, hence the use of this phrase to denote an occurrence that is completely unexpected.

Answer: Gridlocked

The word "locked" with a grid pattern leads us to "gridlocked".

The M25 motorway, which circumnavigates the City of London in England, often has stretches that get gridlocked due to sheer volume of traffic, leading to it being referred to as "Britain's biggest car park".

Answer: Pinky finger

The letter "e" written in pink gives us "pinky" followed by finger, hence "pinky finger".

Also known as the little finger, or simply pinky, the pinky finger is normally the smallest finger on the human hand. It is referred to as 'Baby Small' in the children's nursery rhyme "Tommy Thumb".

Answer: Purple prose

The word "prose" is written in the colour purple, hence "purple prose".

The overuse of descriptive writing, often referred to as "purple prose" can make the writing hard to read, and possibly detracts from the overall information the writer is trying to get across.

Answer: Brown girl in the ring

The word "girl" written in brown is surrounded by a ring, hence, "brown girl in the ring".

A traditional West Indian children's song, "Brown Girl in the Ring" became an international pop hit when Boney M released it as the B-side to "Rivers of Babylon" in 1978.

Answer: Heatwave

The word "heat" is written in wave form, hence "heatwave".

Although not generally known for particularly hot weather, the UK has experienced a number of heatwaves over recent years, perhaps as a result of global warming.