true blue

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• tro͞o′ blo͞o′
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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˌtɹuː ˈbluː/
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• Canada, General-American: /ˌtɹu ˈblu/
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• Australian, New-Zealand: /ˌtɹʉː ˈblʉː/
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• AuE Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Scotland: /ˌtɹʉː ˈblʉː/
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• India: /ˌʈɾuː ˈbluː/
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Endocentric compound of true (“loyal, faithful”, adjective) + blue (“steadfastly faithful or loyal”, adjective). The symbolism of the colour blue as representing constancy, faithfulness, loyalty, and truth may derive from the constant colour of the sky, or the tendency of certain blue dyes to resist fading, especially those made in Coventry. Adjective senses 1.1.2 (“of or pertaining to the Tory, and now the Conservative, political party”) and 1.1.3 (“of or pertaining to the Scottish Presbyterian or Whig political party in the 17th century”) probably both allude to sense 1 (“steadfastly faithful or loyal”). Sense 1.1.2 may also allude to sense 1.1.3 which is older, and sense 1.1.3 may partly allude to the blue colour of the flag of Scotland.

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Bulgarian: лоялен (lojalen) — steadfastly faithful or loyal
• Finnish: vankkumaton — steadfastly faithful or loyal
• French: très loyal — steadfastly faithful or loyal
• Hindi: सरफ़रोश (sarafroś) — steadfastly faithful or loyal
• Italian: convinto — steadfastly faithful or loyal
• Italian: fervente — steadfastly faithful or loyal
• Italian: indefesso — steadfastly faithful or loyal
• Urdu: سرفروش (sarfaroś) — steadfastly faithful or loyal
• Finnish: jyrkästi presbyteerinen — of or pertaining to the Scottish Presbyterian or Whig political party in the 17th century; steadfastly Presbyterian
• Bulgarian: истински (istinski) — representing the true essence of something — see also authentic, genuine
• Bulgarian: същински (sǎštinski) — representing the true essence of something — see also authentic, genuine
• Finnish: aito — representing the true essence of something — see also authentic, genuine
• Finnish: vilpitön — representing the true essence of something — see also authentic, genuine
• Ukrainian: щи́рий (ščýryj) — representing the true essence of something — see also authentic, genuine
• Finnish: vankkumaton tukija — faithful partisan or supporter of a cause, etc.
• Finnish: true blue — blue dye from Coventry, England, famous for not washing out