{"id":24137,"date":"2025-08-01T12:03:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T12:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/?p=24137"},"modified":"2025-08-01T12:03:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T12:03:23","slug":"rose-tinted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/?p=24137","title":{"rendered":"Rose-Tinted"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you are generally optimistic, and\/or view things in a positive way, you could say that you see the world through <strong>rose-tinted spectacles<\/strong> or <strong>rose-colored glasses<\/strong>. What have roses got to do with positivity? Let&#8217;s find out.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/95674029@N07\/24691823411\/in\/photolist-DBW3Ri-2ihYZCo-2kMAvYe-2kxWAWa-5LxTsd-Q5ziBC-23qwJDA-hJJHn1-fPChGv-jDSPHe-cUMGDW-S2AHHL-c5rLWJ-2mWUQFC-XvHVHm-3AXMP1-dtWYM2-DDWWah-GVfPYp-2o9uw3j-DxB7Lc-2nthJAR-Wmiwrt-STe5Rd-2qJP593-25Ld6J5-ux336-djhSdE-a8H7h9-7uuohJ-cEf2JG-WYJscs-eWw69a-2mXgRZN-XyxTgE-2hqT56e-nmhgo2-XzJV2V-7toFbR-S5c9A2-2kn9JqR-uQFHAL-SwXZdx-g7HjZG-573cDE-7zugU3-2oAstLd-4jmfbQ-FX27C-7Z5Gs5\" title=\"Rose Tinted Spectacles\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/1477\/24691823411_44e7d8313a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Rose Tinted Spectacles\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Here in the UK we might talk about <strong>rose-tinted spectacles<\/strong> or <strong>rose-coloured spectacles<\/strong>, while elsewhere, you might talk about <strong>rose-colored glasses<\/strong>, <strong>rose-tinted glasses<\/strong> or <strong>rose-colored lenses<\/strong>, and you might <strong>look through<\/strong>, <strong>see through<\/strong> or <strong>wear<\/strong> them.<\/p>\n<p>These phrases refer to an optimistic perception of something; a positive opinion, or seeing something in a positive way, often thinking of it as better than it actually is. Apparently the use of <strong>rose-coloured spectacles<\/strong> to mean something pleasant dates back to the 1830s, and is based on the idea that roses are widely regarded as uncommonly beautiful. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Rose-colour<\/strong> was used to refer to a &#8220;pleasant outlook&#8221;, and is possibly based on the French phrase <strong>coleur de rose<\/strong> (rose colour), which was used in poetry. <\/p>\n<p>English isn&#8217;t the only language to associate the roses or particular colours with positivity:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Catalan: <strong>ulleres violetes<\/strong> = purple glasses<\/li>\n<li>Czech: <strong>r\u016f\u017eov\u00e9 br\u00fdle<\/strong> = rose-colo(ur)ed glasses<\/li>\n<li>Danish: <strong>rose bril<\/strong> = rose glasses<\/li>\n<li>French: <strong>lunettes roses<\/strong> = rose(-coloured) glasses<\/li>\n<li>Irish: <strong>sp\u00e9acla\u00ed b\u00e1ndearg<\/strong> = pink glasses<\/li>\n<li>Spanish: <strong>gafas violeta<\/strong> = purple glasses<\/li>\n<li>Welsh: <strong>sbectol-lliw rhosyn<\/strong> = rose-coloured glasses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>However, in Italian, you might see the world through <strong>gli occhi di un bambino<\/strong> (the eyes of a child), and in Croatian you might talk about <strong>svijetla strana medalje<\/strong> (the bright side of the coin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>You might also talk about people being <strong>rosy-eyed<\/strong> (optimistic, idealistic), or say that <strong>everything in the garden is rosy<\/strong> (things are going well, everything is fine), or even <strong>paint a rosy picture<\/strong> (to describe a situation or events in an upbeat, optimistic manner<\/strong>, especially if everything is <strong>coming up roses<\/strong> (favourable, developing in a pleasing or advantageous manner), and you want to <strong>come up smelling of roses<\/strong> (be regarded as appealing, virtuous, respectable, untainted or unharmed).<\/p>\n<p>Then again, <strong>every rose has its thorn<\/strong> (every good situation includes some aspect of misfortune or adversity), and there&#8217;s <strong>no rose without a thorn<\/strong> (to enjoy a pleasant subject or thing, one must take trouble and hardship).<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/pahles\/9088215384\/in\/photolist-eR6tNG-6mvGQm-4zZzyT-5z61rd-4oqqCY-6kanmz-Pew3NC-69e2bZ-ddM8Yf-7XJarA-2r9FeU-Jn2oKB-s9Z4rK-boZSVD-qv27A4-zJhDJD-3U8q4-6mb9gP-7Xoivd-73sd8x-3hH6Zk-borq3z-J2D9RL-7XEUaz-7XJaoU-6bMyv-2LCL5G-aqzvyc-mxYhsf-bWzxY5-7BGUCA-5pANyR-9yhna7-nVbBEP-57iCFK-9SMuc2-NGZyR-hj6yK-nZuUxy-cXPCuC-7X74hS-dwkKGP-bdqw6p-8JBpXG-521uj7-jvBLT-pmCLTi-6qodyX\" title=\"Roses\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/5461\/9088215384_d4a794c9d2_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" alt=\"Roses\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Incidentally, the word <strong>rose<\/strong>, which refers to a shrub of the genus <em>Rosa<\/em>, a flower of the rose plant, and various other things, comes from Middle English <em>ro(o)se<\/em> (rose, a morally upstanding and virtuous individual, reddish-purple), from Old English <em>r\u014dse<\/em> (rose), from Latin <em>rosa<\/em> (rose, dear, sweetheart, love), probably from Ancient Greek <em>\u1fe5\u03cc\u03b4\u03bf\u03bd<\/em> (rh\u00f3don &#8211; rose), from Proto-Hellenic <em>*wr\u00f3don<\/em>, maybe from Proto-Iranian <em>*wardah<\/em> (flower, rose).<\/p>\n<p>Related words in English include <strong>roseate<\/strong> (like the rose flower, pink, rosy, full of roses, excessively optimistic), <strong>rosette<\/strong> (an element or ornament resembling a rose), and possibly <strong>rosemary<\/strong> (a shrub <em>Salvia rosmarinus<\/em> that produces a fragrant herb used in cooking and perfumes), although this might come from Latin <em>r\u014dsmar\u012bnus<\/em> (rosemary), from <em>r\u014ds<\/em> (dew, moisture) &#038;\u200e <em>mar\u012bnus<\/em> (marine, of the sea). <\/p>\n<p>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rose-colored_glasses#English\">https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rose-colored_glasses#English<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/rose-colored\">https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/rose-colored<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rosy#English\">https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rosy#English<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/come_up_roses#English\">https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/come_up_roses#English<a\/><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/smell_like_a_rose#English\">https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/smell_like_a_rose#English<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rose#English\">https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rose#English<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rosemary#English\">https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rosemary#English<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.japanesepod101.com\/member\/go.php?r=759259&amp;i=b0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/images\/banners\/banner_japanesepod.jpg\" alt=\"The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com\" width=\"630\" height=\"83\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Blog horizontal --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"1685480124\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you are generally optimistic, and\/or view things in a positive way, you could say that you see the world through rose-tinted spectacles or rose-colored glasses. What have roses got to do with positivity? Let&#8217;s find out. Here in the UK we might talk about rose-tinted spectacles or rose-coloured spectacles, while elsewhere, you might talk [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[179,94,98,99,100,104,107,111,127,128,10,15,26,33,301,467,64,77,78],"tags":[164,158,472,138,281,475,474,468,471,470,469,473,163],"class_list":["post-24137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ancient-greek-","category-catalan","category-croatian","category-czech","category-danish","category-english","category-etymology","category-french","category-irish","category-italian","category-language","category-latin","category-middle-english","category-old-english-aenglisc","category-proto-hellenic","category-proto-iranian","category-spanish","category-welsh","category-words-and-phrases","tag-english","tag-etymology","tag-glasses","tag-language","tag-omniglot","tag-optimism","tag-positivity","tag-rose","tag-rose-colored","tag-rose-coloured","tag-rose-tinted","tag-spectacles","tag-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24137"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24141,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24137\/revisions\/24141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}