Your eyes are blacknblue?

nick   Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:24 am GMT
Your eyes are black and blue. What does "black and blue" mean here?
Context, they screamed   Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:53 am GMT
Most likely: The person was hit in the face, or injured the area around the eyes. Less likely: Person has allergy problems (allergic shiners), or looks like they've been without sleep.
Unlikely: The person has one black eye and one blue eye.
Laurie   Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:45 am GMT
A black eye = a bruised eye.

Black and blue = heavily bruised. "They beat him black and blue."
Toby   Sat Jan 10, 2009 6:35 am GMT
Sounds racist. Please delete this thread.
Uriel   Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:10 am GMT
Give me a break, Toby.
Buzz   Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:53 am GMT
Uriel, are you telling Toby to buzz off?
That's racist   Thu Jan 15, 2009 10:50 am GMT
Jago   Thu Jan 15, 2009 2:03 pm GMT
Oh do go away Toby you fascist, do-gooder, PC freak!
Robin Michael   Thu Jan 15, 2009 10:48 pm GMT
To say someone was beaten 'black and blue' is a standard expression that is in no way racist. If you hit someone in the eye, the eye goes 'black'. If you hit someone about the body, the body bruises in various colours. This has got nothing to do with race, unless you want to make the point that 'black and blue' is an expression more appropriate to white people, than people whose bruises you cannot see.

Unfortunately educational establishments are often taken over by people who have no common sense or intelligence.