white (redirected from whiteness)

be as white as a sheet

to be very pale, usually because you are frightened or ill. She was trembling all over and as white as a sheet.

See also: sheet

be as white as snow

to be very white. His hair and beard were as white as snow.

See also: snow

black and white

if you think facts or situations are black and white, you have a simple and very certain opinion about them, often when other people think they are really more complicated. The issue of nuclear weapons isn't as black and white as it used to be.

See also: black

in black and white

written down. I wouldn't have believed him capable of fraud, but there it was, in black and white.

See also: black

lily-white

1. completely white in colour. He marvelled at her lily-white hands.

2. completely honest. He's not exactly lily-white himself, so he has some nerve calling her a cheat! (often negative)

3. having only white people near, often because of a wish to keep black people away. The black family found it difficult to feel comfortable in this lily-white, prosperous suburb.

the men in white coats (humorous)

doctors who look after people who are mentally ill. The men in white coats will be coming to take me away if I stay in this job much longer.

See also: coat, men

pretend/say that black is white

to say the opposite of what is really true. She'll say that black is white if she thinks it's to her advantage.

See also: black, say, that

a white elephant

something that has cost a lot of money but has no useful purpose. The town's new leisure centre, recently completed at a cost of ten million pounds, seems likely to prove a white elephant.

See also: elephant

a white knight

someone who gives money to a company in order to prevent it from being bought by another company. Hope is fading that a white knight will appear to stop the takeover bid.

See also: knight

a white lie

a lie that you tell in order not to upset someone. I don't see the harm in telling the occasional white lie if it spares someone's feelings.

See also: lie

white trash (American, very informal)

an offensive way of describing poor white people who are not educated. These are the poor white trash that the middle class don't want to know about.

white-bread (American)

white-bread people or things are ordinary and boring, and often those that are typical of white, American people. It's a movie about middle America - white-bread characters living white-bread lives. (always before noun)

white-collar

a white-collar worker is someone who works in an office, doing mental rather than physical work. The ratio of white-collar workers to production workers in the American manufacturing industry was declining. (always before noun) The earnings of women in white-collar jobs are the second highest in Britain. The 1980's saw an explosion in white-collar crime. (= crimes committed by white-collar workers, especially stealing from the organization they work for)

whiter than white

someone who is whiter than white is completely good and honest and never does anything bad. I never was convinced by the whiter than white image of her portrayed in the press.

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black and white

a very clear choice that causes no confusion. When you're flying a plane, it's black and white — you can't be wrong, you've got to be right.

Etymology: based on the clear difference between the colors

See also: black

in black and white

1. in written or printed form. Your offer sounds good, but I want you to put it in black and white.

2. as involving clear choices. She tends to view the political world in black and white, with good guys and bad guys.

Etymology: based on the idea of black printing or writing on white paper

See also: black