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Blue vs Fancy - What's the difference?

blue | fancy |

As a proper noun blue

is an anglicization of (etyl) blau.

As a noun fancy is

the imagination.

As an adjective fancy is

decorative.

As a verb fancy is

(formal) to appreciate without jealousy or greed.

blue

English

Alternative forms

* (obsolete) * (obsolete)

Adjective

(er)
  • Of the colour blue.
  • (lb) Depressed, melancholic, sad.
  • *
  • *:“Heavens!” exclaimed Nina, “the blue'-stocking and the fogy!—and yours ''are'' pale '''blue , Eileen!—you’re about as self-conscious as Drina—slumping there with your hair tumbling ''à la Mérode! Oh, it's very picturesque, of course, but a straight spine and good grooming is better.”
  • Pale, without redness or glare; said of a flame.
  • Pornographic or profane.
  • (lb) Supportive of, run by (a member of), pertaining to, or dominated by a political party represented by the colour blue.
  • #
  • # Supportive of or related to the Liberal Party.
  • (lb) Of the higher-frequency region of the part of the electromagnetic spectrum which is relevant in the specific observation.
  • (lb) Extra rare; left very raw and cold.
  • (lb) Possessing a coat of fur that is a shade of gray.
  • (lb) Severe or overly strict in morals; gloomy.
  • literary; bluestockinged.
  • * (William Makepeace Thackeray) (1811-1863)
  • The ladies were very blue and well informed.
  • (lb) Having a color charge of blue.
  • Antonyms

    * (having blue as its colour) nonblue, unblue

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The colour of the clear sky or the deep sea, between green and violet in the visible spectrum, and one of the primary additive colours for transmitted light; the colour obtained by subtracting red and green from white light using magenta and cyan filters; or any colour resembling this.
  • A blue dye or pigment.
  • Any of several processes to protect metal against rust.
  • Blue clothing
  • The boys in blue marched to the pipers.
  • (in the plural) A blue uniform. See blues.
  • (slang) A member of law enforcement
  • The sky, literally or figuratively.
  • The ball came out of the blue and cracked his windshield.
    ''His request for leave came out of the blue .
  • The ocean; deep waters.
  • Anything blue, especially to distinguish it from similar objects differing only in color.
  • (snooker) One of the colour balls used in snooker, with a value of 5 points.
  • Any of the blue-winged butterflies of the subfamily in the family Lycaenidae.
  • A bluefish.
  • (Australia, colloquial) An argument.
  • * 2008 , Cheryl Jorgensen, The Taint , page 135,
  • If they had a blue between themselves, they kept it there, it never flowed out onto the streets to innocent people — like a lot of things that have been happenin? on the streets today.
  • * 2009 , John Gilfoyle, Remember Cannon Hill , page 102,
  • On another occasion, there was a blue between Henry Daniels and Merv Wilson down at the pig sale. I don?t know what it was about, it only lasted a minute or so, but they shook hands when it was over and that was the end of it.
  • * 2011 , Julietta Jameson, Me, Myself and Lord Byron , unnumbered page,
  • I was a bit disappointed. Was that it? No abuse like Lord Byron had endured? Not that I was wishing that upon myself. It was just that a blue between my parents, albeit a raging, foul, bile-spitting hate fest, was not exactly Charles Dickens.
  • A liquid with an intense blue colour, added to a laundry wash to prevent yellowing of white clothes.
  • (British) A type of firecracker.
  • (archaic) A pedantic woman; a bluestocking.
  • (particle physics) One of the three color charges for quarks.
  • Verb

  • (ergative) To make or become blue.
  • (metallurgy) To treat the surface of steel so that it is passivated chemically and becomes more resistant to rust.
  • (slang) To spend (money) extravagantly; to blow.
  • * 1974 , (GB Edwards), The Book of Ebenezer Le Page , New York 2007, p. 311:
  • They was willing to blue the lot and have nothing left when they got home except debts on the never-never.

    Derived terms

    * antiblue * between the devil and the deep blue sea * bice blue * black and blue * blue baby * blue bag * Blue Bird * blue blood * blue book * blue box * blue cat * blue catfish * blue cheese * blue chip * blue circle rate * blue cod * blue cohosh * blue crab * blue curls * blue devils * blue duck * Blue Ensign * blue flag * blue flier * blue flu * blue fox * blue funk * blue gound * blue gouse * blue gum * blue heaven * blue heeler * blue helmet * blue heron * blue jay * blue jeans * blue john * blue law * blue line * blue list * Blue Mantle * blue mold * blue Monday * blue moon * blue movie * Blue Nile * blue note * blue ointment * blue pages * blue pencil * Blue Peter * blue pike * blue plate * blue point * blue racer * blue riband * Blue Ridge * blue rinse * blue runner * blue shark * blue sheep * blue spruce * blue state * blue streak * blue vitriol * blue wall of silence * blue water * blue whale * blue wren * blueback * blueback salmon * bluebeard * bluebeat * bluebell * blueberry * bluebill * bluebird * blue-black * blue-blooded * bluebonnet * bluebottle * blue-chip * bluecoat * blue-collar * bluecurls * blue-eyed boy * blue-eyed grass * blue-eyed Mar * blue-eyed soul * bluefin * bluefin tuna * bluefish * bluegill * bluegrass * blue-green alga * blueing * blueish * bluejacket * bluely * blueness * bluenose * blue-pencil * blue-plate * bluepoint * blueprint * blue-ribbon * bluerinse * blue-rinse * blues * blueshift * blue-sky * blue-sky law * bluesman * bluestem * bluestocking * bluestone * bluesy * bluet * blue-tile fever * bluetit * bluetongue * blue-water * blueweed * bluey * bluing * bluish * bluishness * blut tit * bolt from the blue * boys in blue * Cambridge blue * cobalt blue * code blue * Colorado blue spruce * common blue * Copenhagen blue * cordon bleu * cornflower blue * cry blue murder * Danish blue * dark blue * duck-egg blue * eggshell blue * electric-blue * genetian blue * go blue * half-blue * ice blue * in a blue funk * indigo blue * iron blue * Kerry blue terrier * light blue * methylene blue * midnight blue * navy blue * Nile blue * once in a blue moon * out of the blue * Oxford blue * peacock blue * petrol blue * powder blue * Prussian blue * pygmy blue * robin's-egg blue * royal blue * Russian blue * saxe blue * Saxon blue * scream blue murder * * sky blue * slate blue * steel blue * Tasmanian blue gum * the blues * true-blue * trypan blue * until one is blue in the face * Wedgwood blue

    See also

    * * * * Havasupai * primary colour * rainbow * RGB

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    fancy

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (all obsolete)

    Noun

    (fancies)
  • The imagination.
  • * Milton
  • In the soul / Are many lesser faculties, that serve / Reason as chief. Among these fancy next / Her office holds.
  • An image or representation of anything formed in the mind; conception; thought; idea.
  • * Shakespeare
  • How now, my lord! why do you keep alone, / Of sorriest fancies your companions making?
  • An opinion or notion formed without much reflection; an impression.
  • * John Locke
  • I have always had a fancy that learning might be made a play and recreation to children.
  • A whim.
  • I had a fancy to learn to play the flute.
  • Love or amorous attachment.
  • He took a fancy to her.
  • The object of inclination or liking.
  • * Shakespeare
  • to fit your fancies to your father's will
  • Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.
  • Trainspotting is the fancy of a special lot.
    the cat fancy
  • The enthusiasts of such a pursuit.
  • He fell out of favor with the boxing fancy after the incident.
  • * De Quincey
  • a great book sale in London, which had congregated all the fancy
  • A diamond with a distinctive colour.
  • That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value.
  • * Mortimer
  • London pride is a pretty fancy for borders.
  • (obsolete) A sort of love song or light impromptu ballad.
  • (Shakespeare)
  • In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies).
  • * 1970 , Marta Weigle, Follow my fancy: the book of jacks and jack games (page 22)
  • When you have mastered plainsies, the regular jack game, and have learned all the rules, you will be ready to use this part of the book. A fancy is a variation of plainsies which usually requires more skill than plainsies does.
  • * 2002 , Elizabeth Dana Jaffe, ?Sherry L. Field, ?Linda D. Labbo, Jacks (page 26)
  • When you get good at jacks, try adding a fancy . A fancy is an extra round at the end of a game. It makes the game a little harder. Jack Be Nimble, Around the World, or Black Widow are some fancies.

    Derived terms

    * flight of fancy * tickle someone's fancy

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Decorative.
  • This is a fancy shawl.
  • Of a superior grade.
  • This box contains bottles of the fancy grade of jelly.
  • Executed with skill.
  • He initiated the game winning play with a fancy , deked saucer pass to the winger.
  • (colloquial) Unnecessarily complicated.
  • I'm not keen on him and his fancy ideas.
  • (obsolete) Extravagant; above real value.
  • * Macaulay
  • This anxiety never degenerated into a monomania, like that which led his [Frederick the Great's] father to pay fancy prices for giants.

    Synonyms

    * (decorative) decorative, ornate * (unnecessarily complicated) highfalutin

    Antonyms

    * (decorative) plain, simple * (unnecessarily complicated) simple

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • (formal) To appreciate without jealousy or greed.
  • I fancy your new car, but I like my old one just fine.
  • (British) would like
  • I fancy a burger tonight for dinner
    Do you fancy going to town this weekend?
  • (British, informal) To be sexually attracted to.
  • I fancy that girl over there.
  • (dated) To imagine, suppose.
  • I fancy you'll want something to drink after your long journey.
    Fancy meeting you here!
    Fancy that! I saw Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy kissing in the garden.
  • * John Locke
  • If our search has reached no farther than simile and metaphor, we rather fancy than know.
  • * Thackeray
  • He fancied he was welcome, because those around him were his kinsmen.
  • * 1895 , H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X
  • I fancied at first the stuff was paraffin wax, and smashed the jar accordingly. But the odor of camphor was unmistakable.
  • To form a conception of; to portray in the mind; to imagine.
  • * Dryden
  • he whom I fancy , but can ne'er express
  • To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners.
  • * Shakespeare
  • We fancy not the cardinal.

    Synonyms

    * (be sexually attracted to) like (US) * (would like to) feel like

    Derived terms

    * fancy that

    See also

    * fantasy * fancy man * fancy oneself * fancypants * fancy woman