off-colour
Definition
Adjective: 1. Slightly indecent, risqué, or in poor taste: Used to describe a joke, remark, or story that is considered somewhat improper, vulgar, or not suitable for polite conversation. 2. Not feeling well, slightly unwell: (Chiefly British English) Used to describe a person who is feeling slightly ill or not in their usual good health.
Usage and Examples
Adjective (Indecent/Tasteless):
- He told an off-colour joke that made some people at the dinner party uncomfortable.
- The comedian's routine was full of off-colour humour.
- Avoid making off-colour remarks during the formal presentation.
Adjective (Unwell - chiefly British):
- She's feeling a bit off-colour today, so she decided to stay home from work.
- You look off-colour; are you coming down with something?
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used euphemistically to describe humour or language that is sexually suggestive or scatological without being explicitly obscene.
- In the sense of being unwell, it implies a general, non-specific feeling of malaise rather than a diagnosed illness.
Variants and Related Words
- Off-color (adjective): The standard spelling in American English for both meanings.
- Off-coloured (adjective): A less common variant.
Synonyms
- For "indecent/tasteless": risqué, ribald, bawdy, suggestive, indelicate, earthy, vulgar.
- For "unwell": under the weather, out of sorts, poorly, indisposed, queasy.
Idioms and Phrases
- To be/turn/go off-colour: This phrasal form is commonly used with the "unwell" meaning.
- He went off-colour very suddenly during the meeting.
Adjective
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in violation of good taste even verging on the indecent
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an indelicate remark
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an off-color joke
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