Raise a Red Flag
2023-01-22
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2Red is nature's color of warning. Animals and plants with bright red colors are sometimes dangerous for other animals to eat.
3Many Western countries also use red color for warnings.
4Red lights at train and road crossings warn drivers to stop.
5Red, as well as yellow, road signs tell people to be careful in dangerous areas.
6And if you see a red flag on an ocean beach, that means the water is too dangerous for swimming.
7That brings us to today's expression: a red flag.
8If we say something is a red flag, that means we think it will likely cause problems or lead to danger.
9Let's hear how this expression is used in conversation:
10A: Did you know that Mary has a new boyfriend?
11B: Yes, but I'm kind of surprised at her choice.
12A: Why?
13B: Well, he doesn't have a job, for one thing. And he was dismissed from his last two jobs.
14A: Ooo. That seems like a red flag.
15B: It is a red flag, if you ask me!
16In this example, the speakers think the boyfriend's work experience should be a warning to Mary.
17We can also say something is a bad sign to mean the same thing as a red flag.
18Many states in the United States have laws that try to prevent dangerous people from having guns.
19These laws are commonly called red flag laws.
20When someone expresses concern or a warning over something, we say the person raises a red flag.
21For example, if people worry that a leader is making bad decisions, they might say those decisions are raising red flags.
22As you can see, we use the expression red flag in many situations.
23We use it mainly to warn about other people's behavior rather than natural dangers.
24Unless you are at the beach.
25In that case, a red flag means you should stay out of the water!
26See if you can find the use of raise a red flag in this VOA Learning English article about airport security.
27You can also hear more examples of red flag in this English in a Minute video from VOA Learning English.
28Keep learning new expressions with Words and Their Stories!
29Until next time, I'm Andrew Smith.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2Red is nature's color of warning. Animals and plants with bright red colors are sometimes dangerous for other animals to eat. 3Many Western countries also use red color for warnings. Red lights at train and road crossings warn drivers to stop. Red, as well as yellow, road signs tell people to be careful in dangerous areas. 4And if you see a red flag on an ocean beach, that means the water is too dangerous for swimming. 5That brings us to today's expression: a red flag. 6If we say something is a red flag, that means we think it will likely cause problems or lead to danger. Let's hear how this expression is used in conversation: 7A: Did you know that Mary has a new boyfriend? 8B: Yes, but I'm kind of surprised at her choice. 9A: Why? 10B: Well, he doesn't have a job, for one thing. And he was dismissed from his last two jobs. 11A: Ooo. That seems like a red flag. 12B: It is a red flag, if you ask me! 13In this example, the speakers think the boyfriend's work experience should be a warning to Mary. 14We can also say something is a bad sign to mean the same thing as a red flag. 15Many states in the United States have laws that try to prevent dangerous people from having guns. These laws are commonly called red flag laws. 16When someone expresses concern or a warning over something, we say the person raises a red flag. For example, if people worry that a leader is making bad decisions, they might say those decisions are raising red flags. 17As you can see, we use the expression red flag in many situations. 18We use it mainly to warn about other people's behavior rather than natural dangers. 19Unless you are at the beach. In that case, a red flag means you should stay out of the water! 20See if you can find the use of raise a red flag in this VOA Learning English article about airport security. 21You can also hear more examples of red flag in this English in a Minute video from VOA Learning English. 22Keep learning new expressions with Words and Their Stories! 23Until next time, I'm Andrew Smith. 24Andrew Smith wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 25__________________________________________________________________ 26We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expression in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. 27We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 28Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.