shut up and color v. phr. mind one’s own business, keep one’s head down, do as one is told. Editorial Note: Most often used as a dismissive command toward someone perceived to be uninformed, inexperienced, or unimportant. The 1980 citation is probably a nonce usage, as the phrase is used there to talk about a completely literal act of keeping quiet and coloring. Etymological Note: Imitates a reprimand that might be given to a child who speaks when not spoken to. The meaning of “color” that is relevant here is “to use crayons to draw a picture or fill in the pages of a coloring book.” (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What’s up with ketchup? The shifting history and spelling of the name of this condiment. For centuries, ketchup was a fishy sauce originating in Asia—the tomatoes came only later! Plus, a new book shows what’s lost when a language dies: when there...
Amid a 1796 heat wave, Jane Austen wrote to her sister, “What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Jane Austen’s Continual State of Inelegance in a...