Definition of: "red zone" with explanation and origin
Definition of: red zone with explanation and origin? Meaning of red zone with examples in English idiom dictionary.
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Definition of: "red zone" with explanation and origin
red zone
red zone
Meaning
- any geographical area that is thought to be dangerous or threatening, usually as a consequence of political or military activity.
- a level on a gauge or other measuring device that indicates danger. For example, air tanks contain a gauge that indicates when the pressure has reached a dangerous level.
- in American football, when a team gets the ball within twenty yards of the goal line, they are said to be in “the red zone,” since they have a higher likelihood of scoring.
Example Sentences
- The alley behind the schoolyard is effectively a “red zone,” since that is where all of the bullies hang out.
- Something is wrong with my pressure washer; the gauge indicates that it is operating within the red zone.
- Although they were able to get into the red zone, the team failed to score a touchdown.
Origin
This idiom chiefly originates from scientific and regulatory documents, as well as military and diplomatic directives.
In a scientific article published in 1905, Charles H. La Wall used the term “rose-red zone” to describe a range of results that could be achieved when applying formaldehyde vapor to a solution of sulfuric acid and morphine sulphate (Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the New Jersey Pharmaceutical Association, Volume 35, p. 72).
The Franco-British Treaty of 1916 delineated a variety of different zones within contested Middle Eastern territories, each of which was designated using a color term (blue, red, and brown). The red zone was established as a territory within which Great Britain would have authority, whereas the blue zone was under the administration of the French.
In the 1937 Federal Register of the United States, the Department of Commerce issued regulations governing civilian air flight. A section of the code stated:
“An aircraft flying along a red airway and continuing flight through a red zone of intersection shall… maintain an altitude approved for flight…”
(section 60.58322).
The application of the term in the context of American football is often credited to Joe Gibbs, a former coach of the Washington Redskins, who adapted its military and geopolitical meaning as a metaphor for the 20 yards in advance of each goal line.
The Origins of red zone
American, Colour, Danger, RedEnglish
Related Dictionary
- English Definition & Meaning Dictionary
- English Idioms and phrases Dictionary
- Dictionnaire Français
- Dictionnaire d'expressions idiomatiques et de phrases en français
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English Idioms and phrases
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below). By another definition, an idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements.[3] For example, an English speaker would understand the phrase "kick the bucket" to mean "to die" – and also to actually kick a bucket. Furthermore, they would understand when each meaning is being used in context.
To evoke the desired effect in the listener, idioms require a precise replication of the phrase: not even articles can be used interchangeably (e.g. "kick a bucket" only retains the literal meaning of the phrase but not the idiomatic meaning).
Idioms should not be confused with other figures of speech such as metaphors, which evoke an image by use of implicit comparisons (e.g., "the man of steel"); similes, which evoke an image by use of explicit comparisons (e.g., "faster than a speeding bullet"); or hyperbole, which exaggerates an image beyond truthfulness (e.g., "more powerful than a locomotive"). Idioms are also not to be confused with proverbs, which are simple sayings that express a truth based on common sense or practical experience.
