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Yellow streak

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An idiomatic expression attributing cowardice or lack of courage to an individual, referencing the color yellow's historical association with fear; often used in character critique to discuss bravery, moral fortitude, and the social stigma attached to timidity.

Detailed Definition
Yellow streak means cowardice, fearfulness, or lack of courage, though it is a judgemental idiom and should be used with awareness of tone. In poetry, it can reveal a speaker’s harshness, social codes of bravery, or the shame attached to fear. The colour yellow has often been used symbolically for sickness, betrayal, or timidity, though meanings vary by context. A poet may use it in war, school, family, or honour-based settings to explore fear, accusation, and courage under pressure.
Example
Example in poetry:
A war satire might accuse the swaggering officer of hiding a yellow streak beneath his medals; In a school poem, the bully's yellow streak appears when the small child stands firm; The phrase means cowardice or lack of courage; A poet should use it as character voice or moral judgement rather than neutral description.
Additional Notes
Yellow streak means cowardice or lack of courage, using yellow as a traditional colour of fear in this idiom. Because colour symbolism can carry cultural assumptions and harsh judgement, students should use it critically. In poetry, it may appear in character speech, satire, war, bullying, or moral testing. The streak image suggests a hidden mark running through someone’s character. Students should ask whether the accusation is fair or merely a cruel label imposed by others.
Also Known As
cowardice
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