phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Blue Monday

Posted by James Briggs on August 20, 2009 at 09:54

In Reply to: Blue Monday posted by Victoria S Dennis on August 20, 2009 at 06:25:

: : Blue Monday? Why the color blue? Why not black or grey?

: See here: www.wordorigins.org (VSD)

Why 'blue devils'? Brewer gives a clue.

"Blue Devils or A fit of the blues. A fit of spleen, low spirits. Roach and Esquirol affirm, from observation, that indigo dyers are especially subject to melancholy; and that those who dye scarlet are choleric. Paracelsus also asserts that blue is injurious to the health and spirits. There may, therefore be more science in calling melancholy blue than is generally allowed. The German blei (lead) which gives rise to our slang word blue or blucy (lead) seems to bear upon the "leaden down-cast eyes" of melancholy. From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.