As white as a sheet
Meaning
To be extremely pale, typically due to fear, shock, illness, or strong emotion.
Origin
The stark simplicity of 'as white as a sheet' comes from a universally understood visual comparison. For centuries, a clean, bleached bedsheet has been the epitome of pure white. When a person is overcome by fear, shock, or severe illness, the blood rushes from their face, leaving their skin conspicuously pale. The idiom vividly captures this dramatic loss of color, drawing a direct and instantly recognizable parallel between the sudden pallor of human skin and the stark, unblemished whiteness of a sheet.
Examples
- After witnessing the near-miss accident, she turned as white as a sheet, her hands trembling.
- The doctor's grave expression made him go as white as a sheet, fearing the worst about the test results.