colour outside the lines
Ignore the edges
To colour outside the lines is to deviate from expectations or conventional boundaries, often with creative or rebellious intent.
The phrase comes from children's colouring books, where staying within printed outlines is the expected skill.
She's always coloured outside the lines—that's why her designs are so distinctive.
The spelling is British; Americans write *color*.
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
- self-discoveryLearning one's true character
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- individualityUnique personal character
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
break the rules · originality · maverick · go against the grain · counterculture · subversion · wild child · authenticity · anti-establishment · lateral thinking · push the envelope · artistic expression · blank canvas · courage · ingenuity · dissent · experimentation · risk-taking
colour outside the linesfollow the rules
toe the line · conform · play by the rules · colour inside the lines · fall in line
colour outside the linesplay it safe
Avoid unnecessary chances
err on the side of caution · hedge your bets · don't make waves
colour, colours, colors, coloured, colored, colouring, coloring, colourful, colorful