Question:
Select the correct meaning of the italicized idiom or phrase out of the four choices given.
Mrs. Hashmi has been in the blues for the last several weeks.
Select the correct meaning of the italicized idiom or phrase out of the four choices given.
Mrs. Hashmi has been in the blues for the last several weeks.
Mrs. Hashmi has been in the blues for the last several weeks.
Show Hint
Think of what the colour blue stands for in English feelings, and why sorrowful music is called the blues.
Updated On: Jul 17, 2026
- abroad
- unwell
- depressed
- penniless
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
"In the blues", like "having the blues", means being low in spirits, sad or depressed. The colour blue has long stood for sadness in English, which is where the music called the blues gets its name too. The idiom describes a state of mind, not a place, a body or a bank balance.
- abroad: This means in a foreign country. It probably tempts through a vague link with "out of the blue", but that is a different idiom meaning suddenly. Nothing in "in the blues" points to travel.
- unwell: A sad person may also be run down, so this is a near miss. Still, the idiom names low spirits and not bodily illness, and English has plenty of plain words for being sick.
- depressed: This is the accepted meaning. Mrs. Hashmi has been sad and downhearted for weeks, which is exactly what the idiom conveys.
- penniless: This means having no money. Poverty may cause sadness, but the idiom names the feeling itself, not the cause of it.
The correct option is (C) depressed. The sentence says Mrs. Hashmi has been low in spirits for several weeks.
Let's summarize:
- Blue stands for sadness in English, so "in the blues" means downhearted or depressed.
- "Unwell" and "penniless" name a body state and a money state, and "abroad" confuses this with the separate idiom "out of the blue".
The answer is (C) depressed.
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