# Colors that you really, violently hate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 12, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330 "2009-11-12T17:28:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/1 "2009-11-12T17:28:33Z")
I don’t know if I’m alone in being obsessed with and passionately opinionated about colors. For me, the color of something is as important as its other aspects- if I’m looking for notebook binders, for example, and one has a lot of handy compartments and is bland, and the other is more bare-bones but a nice shade of blue, I’m probably going to buy the blue one. I don’t quite understand the idea of liking a color in certain contexts and not in others. Why should bubblegum pink be good for a shirt, weird for a car, and hideous for a house? I love almost the Platonic ideal of colors- if I like a blue or green, I like it for everything. Color is everything thing. I know there are subtle differences between one type of [Little Black Dress](http://girldir.com/files/images/lbd-resort-01.jpg) and another, but I don’t see it. All I see it boring black, and black, and more black. I don’t believe I own any entirely black items of clothing. Yes, it does make a good contrast for some other colors, but in those cases I’d get a shirt that was already striped. Just as there are some colors that can have me salivating and grinning like an idiot, there are some colors that I hate. HATE. Not just colors that I don’t like, but that make me sick to look at. They’re colors that come up a lot in life (two of the bottom three are default Microsoft settings :mad: ), and there’s nothing I can do but write long rambling message board theads about them. Number 1 is what I call “default grey”- the color of Windows tabs and the background of this message board. Light grey, that is supposed to substitute for white for some reason, but isn’t. I’m including the general light grey area of the spectrum. Also, I write “grey” instead of “gray” because the latter makes me think of this color. 1. The disgusting [shade of pink](http://www.ledr.com/colours/magenta.jpg) that is often mislabeled magenta. No, folks, [this](http://ryanblock.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/engadget-magenta-stick-together.jpg) is magenta. See the difference? One is a synonym for hot pink, the other is… not. Metallic not-at-all-magenta is [just as bad](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61H2TXpSBHL._SL500_AA280_.jpg). 2. [Dark teal](http://www.poly-sudan.com/images/dark_teal_small_frame.gif). I’d like to clarify that teal as a color can be very nice when shaded or mixed with other colors. But it just doesn’t bear up as well on its own, and _dark_ teal grosses me out. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/2 "2009-11-12T17:35:50Z")
That might be magenta in the strictest cyan.magenta.yellow sense, but magenta to me is darker and bluer. I think of what you put as more like fuschia. I have to say I’m not a big fan of chartreuse. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/3 "2009-11-12T17:39:23Z")
Chartuese is for another thread- “Color Names That Sound Like They Should Be For Another Color”. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/4 "2009-11-12T17:40:03Z")
If that’s dark teal, then what is [this color](http://www.luvtile.com/images//products/tn/ST-4306%20DARK%20TEAL.jpg)? I always thought teal should have a little more green in it. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/5 "2009-11-12T17:42:35Z")
I love teal and dark teal. Lilac, however, is visually offensive to me. Hate, hate, hate it. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/6 "2009-11-12T17:51:00Z")
> [@MostlyClueless](#): > > If that’s dark teal, then what is [this color](http://www.luvtile.com/images//products/tn/ST-4306%20DARK%20TEAL.jpg)? I always thought teal should have a little more green in it. I think it looks like hunter green. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/7 "2009-11-12T17:52:35Z")
> [@MostlyClueless](#): > > If that’s dark teal, then what is [this color](http://www.luvtile.com/images//products/tn/ST-4306%20DARK%20TEAL.jpg)? I always thought teal should have a little more green in it. Also teal. At that level it’s hard to distinguish dark blue from dark green from dark blueish-green. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/8 "2009-11-12T17:53:38Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > I love teal and dark teal. > Lilac, however, is visually offensive to me. Hate, hate, hate it. Which lilac? A quick Googling brings up a bunch of candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/9 "2009-11-12T18:10:59Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > I don’t know if I’m alone in being obsessed with and passionately opinionated about colors. I’m sure you’re not alone in it, but you are notable for it: I saw this thread title on the main page and thought, “I bet **Malleus, Incus, Stapes!** posted that.” I agree with gigi - your magenta looks more like a fuschia to me. I think of magenta as darker and more purpley; something more like [this](http://static.kvraudio.com/i/b/magenta.jpg). Me, I hate a certain shade of orange - that cool, pale, pinky [circus peanut](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dq9xOrW6GM4/Sot35jEUXrI/AAAAAAAAD98/eaGc6An0uzE/s400/circus+peanuts.JPG) color. I love nice, warm red-oranges and yellow-oranges. But that one particular shade always looks flat and really unappealing. Bleah. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/10 "2009-11-12T18:28:35Z")
Girly pink. I know that’s more of a range and usage than a specific color, but hey, I’m not a colorist. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/11 "2009-11-12T18:43:37Z")
Pale yellow, like post-it notes or legal pads. I can deal with deep, vibrant yellows but as the saturation (?) level decreases my blood pressure increases. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/12 "2009-11-12T18:48:19Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > Lilac, however, is visually offensive to me. Hate, hate, hate it. I came in here to say that. [Stuff in this range.](http://www.michaels.com/online/images/cp0055d103.jpg) Actually, [I hate all of these, too.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Color_icon_lilac.svg/300px-Color_icon_lilac.svg.png) I associate them with stinky old lady houses. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/13 "2009-11-12T18:49:04Z")
I love teal too, and I agree it should be more like **Mostly Clueless** ’s swatch. And I love hunter green, but it’s more of a dark green than a dark blue. The colors I hate are [Puce](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Y1pvQ13zJc/SbKdrRNnOVI/AAAAAAAAAB0/EBZugAzg4SY/s320/puce.jpg), it’s cousin [Mauve](http://lsribbon.com/images/Misty%20Mauve%20df%20satin.jpg) and [Chartreuse](http://www.oogalights.com/Home-Garden/Lighting/Paper-Lanterns/10-Inch-Round-Paper/L2CH-Chartreuse-10-Inch-Round-Rice-Paper-Lanterns.jpg). Actually I don’t like any greenish yellows. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/14 "2009-11-12T18:54:17Z")
See, I passionately love colors. There really isn’t any color I dislike. I thought I did until I realized that, for example, the color orange that I hated because it looks horrid as clothing on me will look fantastically gorgeous in a sunset, a bowl of citrus fruit, or whatever. So call me a dirty hippie, but I think that every color has _something_ in the world that it’ll look nice in. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/15 "2009-11-12T18:57:13Z")
I dislike neon green. This shows up at times as clothing, but only on women. No. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/16 "2009-11-12T19:02:07Z")
Chartreuse is bed, I agree. Puce, imho, isn’t bad, but the name is horrible (whereas, I think “chartreuse” is a _great_ word, sound-wise, too bad it’s connected to such a horrid color). The only color I hate worse is olive green. Bleh. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/17 "2009-11-12T19:03:35Z")
I’m not sure you could say I “violently” hate it, but my least favorite color is one I call “bug green”–it was very popular for women’s clothes awhile back, and it’s hideous. Kind of a yellowy green, mostly green. This is [kind of an approximation](http://dnkenterprises.com/PashminaColors/YellowGreen.jpg), but the color I’m talking about is darker and a little more yellowy. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/18 "2009-11-12T19:05:28Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Which lilac? A quick Googling brings up a bunch of candidates. Like [this](http://static.squidoo.com/resize/squidoo_images/250/draft_lens2338338module13069198photo_1229710064lilac-wedding-favor.jpg). Either shade pictured. Oddly, I find the [lilac flower](http://www.english-country-garden.com/a/i/flowers/lilac-11.jpg) lovely, even though it’s pretty much the same color. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/19 "2009-11-12T19:10:52Z")
[This shade of red/brown](http://www.advantagedeck.com/Color%20Chart/CC/Brick_Red.gif) gives me a headache. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330/20 "2009-11-12T19:25:03Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Chartuese is for another thread- “Color Names That Sound Like They Should Be For Another Color”. Along with puce, it being something I thought meant puke-colored. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colors-that-you-really-violently-hate/517330.md?page=2)