blue streak: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, Colloquial
Quick answer
What does “blue streak” mean?
Something or someone that is extremely fast, or an unceasing, rapid flow of talk.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Something or someone that is extremely fast, or an unceasing, rapid flow of talk.
Primarily an idiom functioning as a noun, referring to great speed or voluble, incessant speech. The speed sense often uses 'like a blue streak' as an adverbial phrase. The 'fast talker' sense is pejorative.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The idiom is understood in both varieties but is more common and feels more native in American English, reflecting its US origin. The 'fast talker' sense is particularly AmE-centric.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties: emphasis on impressive or sometimes annoying speed/volubility.
Frequency
More frequent in American English. In British English, alternatives like 'like the clappers', 'like a bat out of hell', or 'talking nineteen to the dozen' are often preferred for the respective senses.
Grammar
How to Use “blue streak” in a Sentence
V (talk/go/run) + like a blue streakV (talk/cuss) + a blue streakVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “blue streak” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She was chatting away a blue streak on the phone.
- He went off like a blue streak after the ball.
American English
- He talked a blue streak all through dinner.
- That car can go like a blue streak.
adverb
British English
- He ran down the road like a blue streak.
- The news spread through the office like a blue streak.
American English
- She finished the test like a blue streak.
- He fixed the engine like a blue streak.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, might be used informally: 'The new intern processes data like a blue streak.'
Academic
Very rare, considered too informal.
Everyday
Common in informal spoken narratives: 'He was talking a blue streak about his holiday.'
Technical
Not used.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “blue streak”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “blue streak”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “blue streak”
- Using it as a standalone adjective (*'He is very blue streak.') instead of within its idiomatic patterns.
- Confusing it with 'out of the blue' (unexpectedly).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is almost exclusively used within set idiomatic patterns, primarily as part of an adverbial phrase ('like a blue streak') or as a direct object of verbs like 'talk' or 'run'.
Not inherently, but common collocations like 'swear/cuss a blue streak' describe offensive language. The idiom itself is just descriptive of speed or volubility.
It comes from 19th-century American English, comparing something to the apparent blue-white colour and incredible speed of a lightning bolt ('streak' of lightning).
It is firmly informal and colloquial. It is common in everyday speech and narrative writing but unsuitable for formal, academic, or technical contexts.
Something or someone that is extremely fast, or an unceasing, rapid flow of talk.
Blue streak: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbluː ˈstriːk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌblu ˈstrik/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “talk a blue streak”
- “run like a blue streak”
- “swear/cuss a blue streak”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a comic book superhero who talks so fast his speech bubbles look like a solid, fast-moving BLUE line or STREAK coming from his mouth.
Conceptual Metaphor
SPEED/VERBAL OUTPUT IS A VISIBLE, PHYSICAL FORCE (a coloured streak of light).
Practice
Quiz
What does 'talk a blue streak' primarily mean?