to get one's colours
Preserved but no longer current.
To be rewarded for athletic achievement by the privilege of wearing some special garment, (as cap and blazer in cricket) decorated with or composed of one's school or college colours. See CAPPED, FLANNELS.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to get one's colours” mean?
To be rewarded for athletic achievement by the privilege of wearing some special garment, (as cap and blazer in cricket) decorated with or composed of one's school or college colours. See CAPPED, FLANNELS.
Is “to get one's colours” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.