a red flag
caught red-handed
red alert
red ink
red in the face
red tape
seeing red
paint the town red
red-eye flights
red herring
Red is the first color babies can see after black and white.
Because red grabs attention, it’s used to warn people of danger. That’s why it’s on stop signs, traffic lights and fire engines.
Kings in the Middle Ages wore red to display their God-given right to the throne.
In fashion, the designer brand Christian Louboutin is known for its red-soled shoes.
Red provokes strong, often opposing emotions, such as love and anger. It conveys literal danger, such as stop signs and traffic lights, and metaphorical danger, such as “red flags” or being “in the red.” Exposure to the color red can cause increased blood pressure, respiration rate, heart rate and metabolism.
RED is important, it defines who we are:
According to a landmark 1969 linguistic study by Brent Berlin and Paul Kay, if a language only has three color terms, those terms are always words for black, white, and red. Red is almost universally the very first distinct chromatic color that cultures name. [1]
More than 40,000 years ago, hunters and gatherers used red clay to make paint. The Paleolithic people buried their dead with red powder for protection from evil spirits. Red is also common in ancient art, with cave paintings across continents created by red ochre. Ancient Romans favored cinnabar for decorations, and Renaissance painters used vermilion paint.
Red pigment comes from the deep red ink gathered from cochineal insects. Farmers in Central and South America harvest these bugs from the prickly pear cactus and smash them into a grainy red substance. This substance is processed into a powder or liquid. The Aztecs invented this technique in the 15th century. This practice is one of many organic and synthetic methods of making red pigment.
Since the bugs are so small, nearly 70,000 of them are required to produce one pound of dye. This dye appears as carmine, natural Red 4 or cochineal extract in ingredient lists on food labels. It’s also common in cosmetics.
