Give the Green Light is an English idiom meaning that you are given/giving permission to do something or for something to happen.
What does it mean to give/be given permission for something??
To give/be given permission to do something is to be allowed, authorized, approved, (etc.) to do something. To give or be given the 'go ahead'.
"Can I go over to Sara's house??" Rumi asked her mother, Yoko.
"Go ahead. Have fun!!" said Yoko.
Why does to give the green light mean to give permission??
This idiom is referencing the green traffic light meaning go.
Why does green mean go??
In the 1830s, the first railroad signals developed had three colors, like today, but they were red (for stop), green (for caution), and clear/white (for go). The choice to have red meaning stop is because red has always been associated with danger or warning, maybe because it's the color of blood. Why green and white were chosen for the other signals, though, is unknown. It's possible that these colors were chosen because of how they contrasted with red.
These colors were used until in 1914, a train signal's red lens fell out, causing it to appear clear/white. As a train approached the signal, it was supposed to stop, but the driver believed the white or clear light meant go. The result was a terrible train crash. This terrible accident revealed the dangerous flaw in the white/green/red signaling system.
As a result of the accident, the color for go was eventually changed to green. To provide the most contrast between red and green and because it's the most visible color, yellow was then chosen as the new color for caution.
They later used the red/yellow/green system for signaling cars as well, which is still used today.
(Reference: http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-does-green-mean-go)
How to use this idiom in daily conversation:
1. The construction workers were given the green light to start building the skyscraper.
2. Mom gave us the green light!! We can go to the party!!
3. Abbey is waiting for her doctor to give her the green light to play in Saturday's volleyball game.
4. I gave Julia the green light to go to the concert.
Have a great day!!
Elaina.C :)
**If you have any questions about this blog's vocabulary or phrases, please comment or send me a message and I'll answer as soon as I can :)