Blue is a color. It is also an emotion. It is also a genre of music (blues). Did you ever stop to think how many idioms and phrases contain the word blue?
Sing the blues – to complain sadly
Turn blue – be very cold
Feel blue – be sad
Have the blues – feel sad
Talk until I am blue in the face – talk endlessly
Blue-eyed soul – white soul music
Blue light special – a temporary deal
Boys in blue – police officers
Big blue – nickname for IBM
Black and blue – bruised
Blue chip stock – a top investment
Blue ribbon – the best
Blue collar – working class
Blue blood – of noble ancestry
Out of the blue – suddenly
True blue – loyal
Out of the blue – from an unknown place
Talk a blue streak – talk nonstop
Blue movie – an adult film
To blue pencil – To censor certain text
Into the wild blue yonder – going on a quest
Blue laws – Sunday restrictions
Screaming blue murder – loud protest
Once in a blue moon – rarely
Blues is also a genre of music that has certain chord patterns – and many blues songs have the word Blues at the end (St, Louis Blues, for example). And many other songs also have the word blue in the title:
Blue Suede Shoes – Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley
Blue Christmas – Elvis
Blue Bayou – Ronstadt
Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue – Crystal Gayle
Blue Velvet – Bobby Vinton
Blue on Blue – Bobby Vinton
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes – Crosby, Stills, and Nash
Crystal Blue Persuasion – Tommy James and the Shondells
True Blue – Madonna
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain – Willie Nelson
Blue – LeAnn Rimes
Blueberry Hill – Fats Domino
Forever in Blue Jeans – Neil Diamond
Blue Moon – Billie Holiday and lots of others
Rhapsody in Blue – George Gershwin
Bluebird – Sara Bareilles
And movies (I am sure you can think of others) …
Blues Brothers
Blue Hawaii
The Blue Lagoon
Biloxi Blues
Song Sung Blue
The Blue Max
Lady Sings the Blues
And books (I am sure you can think of others)…
Gathering Blue – Lois Lowry
Island of the Blue Dolphins – Scott O’Dell
The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison
Forever in Blue – Ann Brashares
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues – Tom Robbins
And TV shows (I am sure you can think of others)…
NYPD Blue
Blue’s Clues
Hill Street Blues
Blue Blood
Rookie Blue
Boston Blue
The Blue Planet
The Blue Knight
The Blue and the Gray
The Thin Blue Line
I believe it was Woolworths that offered a ‘Blue Plate Special’ for lunch.
I believe you are right. It was one of those five and dime stores. We had three in the city I grew up in downtown: Woolworth’s, Kresge’s and McClellan’s. How can I even remember that! Woolworth’s was the nicest one.