Black and Blue

One of the things the doctor originally told me about my injury is that my leg would be black and blue.  There was blood pooling where my muscle detached and it would bruise a lot.  However, I am happy to say that never happened.  Actually my leg seems to be healing pretty fast.  I hope to be driving short distances this coming week.
The term black and blue describes the discoloration (change in color) of the skin when bruised.  The phrase can literally refer to the color of your skin after an injury.

Example:  The bicycle crash left him black and blue. 

Black and blue can be used metaphorically to describe pain (usually after a fight).  In the song Grenade, Bruno Mars uses black and blue to show how his girlfriend makes him feel (emotionally).  It should be noted that black and blue often follows “beat”, as in, beat me black and blue.  This refers to the fight that caused the bruising or pain.

Example (literal):  After the fight with Fury, Wilder was black and blue.
Example (figurative):  After we broke up, I was black and blue for weeks. 

This phrase is quite old, dating back to the 1300s.  It has remained largely literal and usually refers to the outcome of a fight.

For more English phrases and quote, follow me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ESL-ToyBox-112152010890485