show one's true colors

动词 v.
中文释义

英文释义

动词 v.
  1. To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed or after having been deceptively and deliberately misleading. idiomatic,informal

词形变化

shows one's true colors present,singular,third-person showing one's true colors participle,present showed one's true colors past shown one's true colors participle,past showed one's true colors US,also,participle,past show one's true colours alternative

词源

Nautical origin. The word colors (or colours) refers to the flag or ensign which every ship is obliged to fly at sea. It was once a common deception of pirates to “sail under false colours” and fly a friendly flag in order to get within close range of potential targets (other ships) without exciting suspicion. Only when the pirate ship reached close quarters would it unfurl its true colours.
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