Sens: colours

colours (Brit.)n. couleurs, drapeaux, emblème, étendard; combinaison de couleurs (badge, uniforme,...); personnalité, caractère, piquant d'une personnecolour (Brit.)col·our || 'kʌləv. colorier, colorer, enluminern. couleur, nuance; coloris; teint

be sailing under false colours Idiome

Sail under false colours

Someone who sails under false colours (colors) is hypocritical or pretends to be something they aren't in order to deceive people.

True colours

If someone shows their true colours, they show themselves as they really are. ('True colors' is the American spelling.)

Under false colours

If someone does something under false colours/colors, they pretend to be something they are not in order to deceive people so that they can succeed.

With flying colours|With flying colors

If you pass something with flying colours (colors), you pass easily, with a very high mark or grade.

be sailing beneath apocryphal colors

To be operating beneath the guise of apocryphal pretenses, so as to deceive addition or to adumbrate one's accurate attributes or intentions. (An allusion to the anecdotic flags of a ship.) Tim anticipation he could aloof put on adorned clothes and rub elbows with the high band that Janet's ancestors socialized with, but anybody at the affair knew he was sailing beneath apocryphal colors. Lest you anticipate I'm sailing beneath apocryphal colors, let me say beeline abroad that I'm actuality paid to accord a analysis of this artefact today.Learn more: color, false, sailing

be sailing beneath apocryphal colours

BRITISHIf addition or article is sailing beneath apocryphal colours, they are advisedly artful people. Note: A ship's colours are its civic flag. This address sails beneath apocryphal colours. It claims to be a fair and accurate assay of the issue, but it is no such thing. Note: When charlatan ships spotted a abundance ship, they generally took down their own banderole and aloft the banderole of a affable nation, in adjustment to get abutting abundant to the address to advance it. Learn more: colour, false, sailing

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More Idioms/Phrases

Window dressing Window to the soul Wing and a prayer Winner takes all Wipe the floor with Wipe the smile of someone's face With a heavy hand With child With flying colours|With flying colors With friends like that, who needs enemies? Within a whisker Woe betide you Woe is me Wood for the trees be robbing Peter to pay Paul be rolling be rolling in dough be rolling in it be rolling in money be rolling in the aisles be rolling in wealth be rooted in (something) be rotten to the core be rough on (someone or something) be rubbing (one's) hands (with glee) be rubbing your hands be rubbing your hands with glee be ruled out of court be run off (one's) feet be run off your feet be run ragged be running around in circles be running around like a headless chicken be running on empty be running on fumes be rushed off (one's) feet be sacrificed on the altar of (something) be sacrificed on the altar of something be sailing under false colors be sailing under false colours be sb's lookout be scared of (one's) (own) shadow be scared shitless be scared witless be scared/bored witless be scattered to the four winds be scraping the barrel be scratching (one's) head be scratching your head be second nature be second only to (someone or something) be second only to somebody/something be second to none be seeing things be seeing you be sent to Coventry be set aback be set against (something) be set against something/against doing something be set fair be set in (one's) ways be set in cement be set in concrete be set in your ways be set on something/on doing something