Colors are often connected to the feelings we have . Many expressions in English link colors and emotions . Take for example , the color green . Green can be a symbol for many things . In other words , it can represent many different ideas , qualities , or objects in our lives . One of these is money . For example , a greenback is a common expression for a dollar bill…because it is green . Here is another example : green represents environmental causes . So , if a company goes green , they probably have changed to cleaner technology to produce their products . Green is also a sign of a beginner . If someone is green to a job or activity , they are new to it . So , for example , if I am green at cooking , I haven't been cooking for very long . So , I'm probably not very good at it . Just ask my family . Green can also mean other things -- bad things . Historians say long ago the Greeks connected a green color on the face with sickness . They might have thought the color came from an overproduction of bile in the body . Now , we say that if someone looks “green around the gills ,” they look sick or they could be sick at any moment . Gills of a fish are the organs it uses to breathe instead of lungs . In this expression , why we say “gills ” is not exactly clear . But maybe it is used as a funny replacement for the word “mouth .” People who get seasick might look green around the gills when they are sailing on rough waters in a boat . The Greeks also linked green to jealousy . Today , we use green to describe people who are very jealous or envious . One of the expressions is very simple : We say they are “green with envy .” Let's say I really want something that you have – like a beautiful apartment . You could say that I am green with envy about your apartment . Envy usually has two parts . You feel unhappy over another person's luck , but you also want to have the same luck yourself . It does not feel good to be green with envy . In fact , feeling envious or jealous is unpleasant . But these feelings are natural . We all probably have felt these emotions at some point in our lives . But some people get so jealous of others that it begins to affect their lives . In that case we can say they are "consumed with envy " or "eaten up by jealousy ." We can also say “the green-eyed monster ” has a hold of them . It takes over their minds and tries to destroy their lives . Now , let's hear two friends use some of these expressions . So , have you talked to Randy recently ? Yes , I ran into him at a party last weekend and couldn't believe how different he seemed . Let me guess…ALL he talked about was the job he didn't get and the woman who did get it . How did you know ? Oh , I've been hearing that story for months now . He claims this woman , Jessica , stole his idea and then got the job instead of him . Yep , that's the same story he told me...for 40 minutes ! The green-eyed monster has really got a hold of him and will not let go . It's kind of sad . You're telling me ! I told him that he really needs to get over it . How did you handle it at the party ? I told him I had to use the bathroom and just never came back . Until he's no longer green with envy , it's probably better to avoid him . If someone happens to speak English a little better than you , don't turn green with envy . That will help you a lot more than giving in to the green-eyed monster .