Dictionary definition of “shut up and color”

shut up and color

v. phr. mind one’s own business, keep one’s head down, do as one is told. Subjects: English, Military, Colloquial

Editorial Note: Most often used as a dismissive command toward someone perceived to be uninformed, inexperienced, or unimportant. The 1980 citation is probably a nonce usage, as the phrase is used there to talk about a completely literal act of keeping quiet and coloring. Etymological Note: Imitates a reprimand that might be given to a child who speaks when not spoken to. The meaning of “color” that is relevant here is “to use crayons to draw a picture or fill in the pages of a coloring book.”

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Citations: [1980 Richard Mitchll The Underground Grammarian (Glassboro, New Jersey) (Dec.) “The Ballons Nodule” vol. 4, no. 9, p. 3: Strike while the irony is hot, or shut up and color your balloons.] 1994 Laurie Sullivan Salt Lake Tribune (Utah) (Apr. 18) “Reservists Reach For The Sky In 2nd Jobs” p. A1: Veteran Cathcart and rookie George endure considerable ribbing from the fraternity of airline fliers. Cathcart has been subjected to every lawyer joke ever uttered, while George, as the new kid on the block, is “supposed to just shut up and color.” 1996 [Dave Felts] Usenet: rec.arts.sf.written (Feb. 7) “Re: Midshipman’s Hope”: At Squadron Officer’s Scholl they kept emphasizing the helplessnes of the Vietnamese and how we could bomb them at will. When I asked why, if that was true, we negotiated a settlement that basically had us as the losers no one really had the answer. (Shut up and color Capt Felts). 1996 [Brian MacKenzie] Usenet: alt.sports.hockey.nhl.phila-flyers (Mar. 20) “Last thoughts on MacTavish”: If MacT decides to play one more season, we’ll probably have a good chance of seeing him in a Flyers uniform again, since he’ll be a free agent at the end of the year!!! okay, okay, I’ll shut up and color now. 1997 Anthony T. Kern Redefining Airmanship p. 96Anthony T. Kern: By basically telling his first officer to “shut up and color,” he has likely eliminated any backup that this first officer will provide in the future. 1999 John C. Jensen (Congressional Testimony by Federal Document Clearing House) (July 21) “Adverse Reactions To Anthrax Vaccine”: Field perceives that they are being deceived. possibly being used as guinea pigs, treated like idiots and told to due nothing more than shut up and color (or in this case take the vaccine). 2006 Greg Reese MiG Alley FLyer (Osan Air Base, South Korea) (Oct. 6) “Service Before Self: The unpopular core value” p. 2: While the Air Force warmly embraced “Integrity First” and “Excellence in All We Do,” many Airmen in 1997 and today believe “Service Before Self” is just the Air Force telling you to “shut up and color” when you get your third deployment in three years, your cross training application gets denied, or you face any one of the other numerous personal hardships all military members face in our service to our nation. 2007 Bill Handleman Asbury Park Press (New Jersey) (Mar. 25) “Speaking of rules, regulations and reality”: Despite the fact that Julia qualified as an “exceptional family member,” the Air Force isn’t budging on her father’s retirement request, which he submitted last month. They want him to report to the base in Barksdale, La., at the end of April, period. As they say in the military, shut up and color.

Posted 27 Mar 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend