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To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed or after having been deceptively and deliberately misleading.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Nautical origin. The word colors (or colours) refers to the flag or ensign which every ship is obliged to fly at sea. It was once a common deception of pirates to “sail under false colours” and fly a friendly flag in order to get within close range of potential targets (other ships) without exciting suspicion. Only when the pirate ship reached close quarters would it unfurl its true colours.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
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Chinese Mandarin:
露出真面目
(lùchū zhēnmiànmù)
— to reveal how one really is
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Czech:
vybarvit
— to reveal how one really is
-
Czech:
odhalit své ledví
— to reveal how one really is
-
Finnish:
näyttää todellinen karvansa
— to reveal how one really is
-
French:
se montrer sous son vrai jour
— to reveal how one really is
-
French:
montrer son vrai visage
— to reveal how one really is
-
German:
Farbe bekennen
— to reveal how one really is
-
German:
sein wahres Gesicht zeigen
— to reveal how one really is
-
Hungarian:
kimutatja a foga fehérjét
— to reveal how one really is
-
Hungarian:
megmutatja valódi arcát
— to reveal how one really is
-
Hungarian:
színt vall
— to reveal how one really is
-
Italian:
mostrare il proprio vero volto
— to reveal how one really is
-
Malay:
tunjuk belang
— to reveal how one really is
-
Norwegian:
vise sin sanne natur
— to reveal how one really is
-
Norwegian:
stikke hestehoven fram
— to reveal how one really is
-
Polish:
pokazywać prawdziwą twarz
— to reveal how one really is
-
Polish:
pokazać prawdziwą twarz
— to reveal how one really is
-
Portuguese:
mostrar sua verdadeira cara
— to reveal how one really is
-
Spanish:
mostrar su verdadera cara
— to reveal how one really is
-
Spanish:
mostrar sus verdaderas cartas
— to reveal how one really is
-
Spanish:
mostrarse tal cual es
— to reveal how one really is
-
Spanish:
vérsele las costuras
— to reveal how one really is
-
Swedish:
visa sitt rätta ansikte
— to reveal how one really is
-
Swedish:
visa sitt rätta jag
— to reveal how one really is
-
Swedish:
visa sin sanna natur
— to reveal how one really is
-
Swedish:
bekänna färg
— to reveal how one really is
-
Thai:
ออกลาย
(ɔ̀ɔk-laai)
— to reveal how one really is
-
Thai:
เผยธาตุแท้
(pə̌əi-tâat-tɛ́ɛ)
— to reveal how one really is
-
Thai:
แสดงกําพืด
(sà-dɛɛng-gam-pʉ̂ʉt)
— to reveal how one really is
