Why is “dark” an adverb in “dark blue”?

The sky is dark blue. Source: BBC English Catherine: The sky is dark blue. The sky is dark blue. Finn: So, is blue an adjective or adverb? Catherine: It’s an adjective. Blue is describing the noun sky. Now number two: it’s actually the same sentence but this time, think about the word dark. Is dark … Read more

Can a noun work as an adjective, and the adjective as a noun?

Hazel Eyes I found the following paragraph in the guycounseling.com blog article “Hazel Eyes: Learn Why People with Greenish Eye Color are Rare!”, containing the two words “hazel eyes”: Hazel eyes are fascinating to gaze into. When you look at someone who has hazel eyes, you see colors that are completely different than other eye … Read more

Is ‘white’ an adverb in “the lamp will flash white”?

What is the role of ‘white’ in the following sentence? The lamp on the machine will flash white when you restart it. It seems like it is an adverb here, but is it possible to use colours as adverbs? Answer In a comment, John Lawler wrote: It’s an idiom, one of a number of them … Read more

How should “red and blue coloured kingfisher” be hyphenated?

In the following sentence, what is the correct use of hyphens? Should it be: A red and blue-coloured kingfisher. Or A red-and-blue-coloured kingfisher. Please assume that the ‘coloured’ is a necessity, i.e. I can’t shorten to ‘red and blue kingfisher’. I know that if there were only one colour I should hypenate, i.e. red-coloured kingfisher’. … Read more

If two or more nouns follow a single adjective, do they all share the same attribute?

In the following example, Our goal is to create an overview of this field of research and add our own perspective on the study of green crime, law, and justice to that literature. excerpt Is green an adjective used only for crime, or for law and justice too? Similar questions here and here ask about … Read more

Synonyms for colour green

I was wondering if there are any adjectives for describing the “sinister green” colour? The kind of gloomy green that looks like this Source: WallPaperUp Answer I would describe the feeling of the word using a noun modifier. The words nephrite and absinthe seem appropriate. Absinthe has the added benefit of implying not only color … Read more

What does this word mean in this passage from Frank Herbert’s Dune?

I am only familiar with "faggot" being used as a slur for a gay man or as a bundle of sticks. Some statements in the preceding paragraphs that provide context: …A predawn hush had come over the desert basin. Straight overhead, the stars were a sequin shawl flung over blue-black… …As the Duke watched, the … Read more

Is there a word for “bright colored eyes”?

In my country (Iran), the reference to blue, green, and hazel eyes translates exactly to "colored eyes" in English. However, I am not sure whether the phrase "colored eyes" would be perceived and understood in English the way it is in Iran, and to be honest, I personally think it’s wrong to use that phrase … Read more

Is it possible for a sentence to have a direct object and predicate adjective?

In school, I was taught that action verbs have direct objects and linking verbs have predicate adjectives or nominatives; however, some verbs seem to use both simultaneously. For example, in “I made it blue,” made seems to have both a direct object it and a predicate adjective blue. In the early stages of my adverb … Read more