# What's Up With The Color Blue? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 12, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481 "2012-10-12T02:48:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [October 12, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/41 "2012-10-12T16:50:17Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > fuscia Fuchsia. No one ever spells it right: [Color Survey Results – xkcd](http://blog.xkcd.com/2010/05/03/color-survey-results/) (scroll about halfway down to “Spelling and Spam”.) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/42 "2012-10-12T17:32:11Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I had read that primitive peoples who have limited language and vocabulary typically have three words for colors - black, white and red. And that blue is typically the color that is assigned a name last. I think it was mentioned in a book called Art & Physics; would be interesting if true. Well, the last two colors are blue and green according to color naming, so bluegreen is before that, but some systems maybe use green and blueblack, but I don’t know which culture this is. In Japanese, “ao” covers both blue and green, but it is more commonly translated to “blue,” so green comes later. When a disambiguation or otherwise is needed, “midori” works for green. > [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Fuchsia. > > No one ever spells it right: [Color Survey Results – xkcd](http://blog.xkcd.com/2010/05/03/color-survey-results/) (scroll about halfway down to “Spelling and Spam”.) And truly pronounced closer to fucks-ya. “unsure-whether-boy-or-girl baby room color” is fun. Some of you mention that maybe we’re seeing the different colors than the OP. But I agree with the OP that “[r]ed is so much more colorful, it has heart and warmth.” And I respond “so?” That doesn’t make it any more appealing compared to blue. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/43 "2012-10-12T17:53:21Z")
> [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Fuchsia. > > No one ever spells it right: [Color Survey Results – xkcd](http://blog.xkcd.com/2010/05/03/color-survey-results/) (scroll about halfway down to “Spelling and Spam”.) Fuchsia? No way! I would never wear that color! I much prefer fuscia. It’s sort of an off-brown. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/44 "2012-10-12T18:06:20Z")
Because it is bluetiful. I think I started to prefer blue in the first place because Leonardo was my favorite ninja turtle. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/45 "2012-10-12T18:56:16Z")
The blue of glacial ice is soul-stirring. Photography can’t do it justice, but [this](http://teapotshappen.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/blue-glaciers.jpg) is nice. It would be fun if there were red glaciers as well: red, white, and blue, kind of like BombPops. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/46 "2012-10-12T19:20:53Z")
Anger he smiles tow’ring shiny metallic purple armor. Queen Jealousy, envy waits behind him. Her fiery green gown sneers at the grassy ground. Blue are the life-giving waters taken for granted, They quietly understand. Once happy turquoise armies lay opposite ready … My red is so confident he flashes trophies of war And ribbons of euphoria. Orange is young, full of daring but very unsteady for the first go 'round. My yellow in this case is not so mellow… —[Hendrix](http://youtu.be/W9kuWwH6T9U) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/47 "2012-10-12T19:36:46Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Fuchsia? No way! I would never wear that color! I much prefer fuscia. It’s sort of an off-brown. Is that the same as obfuscia? Sort of an off-brown off-white off-green off-purple? ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/48 "2012-10-12T20:08:37Z")
I like green, an emerald green, grass green. Blue and yellow are cool too. Small doses of red are okay. Orange sucks snot through a straw, purple slightly sucks but lavender and violet are pretty. I got behind a car the other day, brand new car. The owner was driving very very carefully ie: too damn slow. It was the same yellow orange color as the double line in the street. I thought the car would be prettier with some dents. That was one fugly car. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/49 "2012-10-12T20:15:31Z")
> [@sahirrnee](#): > > Orange sucks snot through a straw, purple slightly sucks but lavender and violet are pretty. A few years ago I almost bought an orange dress shirt. The clerk asked me what pants I’d be wearing with it. I said black slacks. He rightly pointed out that I could only get away with wearing that in late October. I love my orange t-shirt though. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/50 "2012-10-12T20:23:37Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > I just discovered last week that what my husband considers purple I consider blue. Apparently a lot of Minnesota Vikings fans share his color perception, because a lot of Vikings football regalia appears blue to me. That must be a form of colorblindness. The Minnesota Vikings uniform is clearly purple. I have had the same argument with a few people that apparently share your color perception. It is very frustrating when you realize they aren’t just screwing with you and you will never truly agree. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/51 "2012-10-12T20:28:53Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > That must be a form of colorblindness. The Minnesota Vikings uniform is clearly purple. [This color](http://www.vikings.com/)? Most decidedly purple. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/52 "2012-10-12T20:53:25Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > [This color](http://www.vikings.com/)? Most decidedly purple. That’s what I thought, unless it’s some unlicensed knockoff. I imagine the Vikings jealously protect their color schemes, and mandate a specific Pantone color or something. Any of the forms of colorblindness do not specifically shift the spectrum, nor cause much confusion between the specific colors of blue and purple (or violet at least). It might be possible, but as I’m guessing **Sudden Kestrel** is female, the odds of her being colorblind are incredibly low. Tetrachromacy (4 functional cones in females), maybe, although the jury is still working on that one. Naming can also differ between males and females as seen in the xkcd link, for various reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/53 "2012-10-12T21:38:08Z")
The OP is clearly nuts. Blue is lovely. Blue makes me happy. And you orange haters? Phooey to you. Orange is a happy color. Go hate on some beige. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/54 "2012-10-12T23:50:51Z")
Yeah, it is kinda hard sometimes to see what someone sees in something you don’t like. Isn’t it awesome that we have this message board where you can ask people to explain what they like about it so that you can understand things better? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/55 "2012-10-13T00:11:05Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > [This color](http://www.vikings.com/)? Most decidedly purple. I don’t think it’s out of the question that individual eyes can percept (why’s that not spelled correctly according to Firefox?) colours differently. When Trivial Pursuit was popular I had a hard time distinguishing between the orange and pink pieces. I had no idea I was weak in that spectrum until then. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/56 "2012-10-13T00:24:36Z")
[Green](http://apartmentrentalnews.com/authors/Green.jpg), bitches, how is this even a discussion? ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/57 "2012-10-13T00:29:00Z")
I try not to play favorites with colors, because I don’t want any of their feelings hurt, but I do have a soft spot for purple, which is the color of an organ engorged with blood, and I do like that. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/58 "2012-10-13T00:37:02Z")
that blue in post #45 is awesome as is MOL’s green no way I could have just ONE favorite color for everything. I will wear a lovely robin’s egg blue T shirt or navy blue pants but if I had I horse I would prefer a reddish brown with black stockings. for those of you hatin’ on orange, what about all the lovely shades in a **campfire**? didn’t think about that did you? all the colors can be beautiful 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/59 "2012-10-13T00:43:13Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > That’s what I thought, unless it’s some unlicensed knockoff. I imagine the Vikings jealously protect their color schemes, and mandate a specific Pantone color or something. > > Any of the forms of colorblindness do not specifically shift the spectrum, nor cause much confusion between the specific colors of blue and purple (or violet at least). It might be possible, but as I’m guessing **Sudden Kestrel** is female, the odds of her being colorblind are incredibly low. Tetrachromacy (4 functional cones in females), maybe, although the jury is still working on that one. Naming can also differ between males and females as seen in the xkcd link, for various reasons. Maybe I just detect blues differently than my husband (and lots of other people, apparently). A lot of the Vikings garb (fuzzy Viking-head slippers, anyone?) they sell in stores is clearly purple, but their home uniforms have become progressively more blue over the years. Huh. Upon further research, the NFL says the Vikings’ official purple is Pantone 269. Samples of that show up on my monitor as significantly more purple than the Vikings’ jerseys appear on my TV. However, when do an image search for Vikings jersey, some of the images look purple and some look blue. I even had my husband look at them, and he agrees. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481/60 "2012-10-13T01:50:06Z")
[The orange of the sun](http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/images/Sun.jpg) is pretty awesome. I like colors best when they have light. No one has mentioned white, pro or con. Monet could paint a drop of white that I truly believe actually contains light. His blues weren’t too shabby either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-color-blue/637481.md?page=4)