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
Why do speakers of the same language have different accents? A lively new book called Why We Talk Funny offers a linguist’s look at how and why accents develop. And: If you’ve “stood up” at a wedding, were you supporting the marriage or objecting to...
A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, listener has been pondering the saying It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good, and specifically whether she uses it correctly. The expression usually appears as It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, means that...