Wednesday Word: Navy Blue

Shush, all you perfectionists who are hopping up and down saying 'But that's two words!  How can it be called a Wednesday 'word' if it's two words?'

Shush, I tell you.  Navy Blue might as well be one word because as a concept it is only one word.  There is a color (singular) that bears the name of Navy Blue (which admittedly is two words), so in reference to the color, the two words are still a singular. 

Specious logic time!  Wheeee!!!!

I've always thought of Navy Blue as one word.  I mean, I know it's two separate words, but if something was Navy Blue, it was navyblue. Until one fateful day...

Imagine a college campus, green and springlike and full of the next generation of intelligent minds rushing back and forth to classes, dorms, and the dining hall.  Imagine a group of friends talking back and forth as they walk together back to their dorm. 

Now imagine me among them, having a random epiphany that the color navyblue, is only called that because at one time The Navy had a specific color that was 'theirs' and it was a certain blue.  The Navy's blue.  Navy Blue.

Of course I can't keep this to myself, so I immediately blurt out that for the last 18 years of my life I had no idea that Navy Blue was referring to the Navy. 

Fortunately my friends were kind to me and only snickered under their breaths.  Perhaps a few of them gave me odd looks and pitying sighs.  (I was used to that)

So learn from my example, people of the world!  The color Navy Blue refers to the Navy!  Which is why it's important to think of it as two separate words instead of just one.

--That is a contradiction, as in your first paragraph you stated--
Shush you.

And please, be kind to those of us who come to such realizations late in the game.