clear blue water

clear blue water

A separation between rivals or opponents. Primarily heard in UK. There's no clear blue water between the candidates now—the race is as tight as can be.
See also: blue, clear, water
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

clear blue water

an obvious and decisive gap between you and your rivals. British
The expression originated in the 1990s as a political slogan characterizing the ideological gap between the British Conservative party (whose traditional colour is blue) and its political opponents, which right-of-centre Conservatives wished to be as wide as possible.
See also: blue, clear, water
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • chip
  • chips
  • up on (one's) ear
  • Two Bob
  • (as) dead as mutton
  • dead as mutton
  • mutton
  • one of the boys
  • one of the lads
  • be one of the lads
References in classic literature
The central and intertropical parts of the Atlantic swarm with Pteropoda, Crustacea, and Radiata, and with their devourers the flying- fish, and again with their devourers the bonitos and albicores; I presume that the numerous lower pelagic animals feed on the Infusoria, which are now known, from the researches of Ehrenberg, to abound in the open ocean: but on what, in the clear blue water, do these Infusoria subsist?
It features a powdery white sand beach surrounded by clear blue water.
Next was the sight of the fish swimming amidst a load of rubbish in crystal clear blue water. And this is without mentioning the death climate change has inflicted on the Great Barrier Reef, featured in a previous episode.
THE region was condemned to the "Northern Doghouse" in George Osborne's Budget speech as a failure of leadership on devolution sees "clear blue water" open up between the North East and neighbouring regions, it is claimed.
Mr Osborne has already said he wants to see PS12 billion more sliced off the welfare bill in the two years following the May 2015 general election, and aides signalled that this will give him scope to create "clear blue water" from the other parties by making a manifesto pledge to cut the cap.
We saw clear blue water with more than 50 metre visibility, an incredible number of reef sharks and some of the biggest hump headed parrot fish and Maori wrasse I have ever seen.
KiLmARNoCK keeper Anssi Jaakkola prevented motherwell opening up some clear blue water between themselves and Celtic with a string of superb saves.
To keep nasty invasive species out of the clear blue water, the state prohibits private canoes and kayaks from paddling on the reservoir.
LLANDUDNO will aim to put clear blue water between themselves and next-placed Rhos Aelwyd in what could be a close encounter at Maesdu Park tonight.
"Clear Blue Water" will end its print run with Universal Press Syndicate on Sept.
Dream vacation: Beach, clear blue water, golf palm trees, tropical fruit
Its Ponte Vecchio-style bridge straddles the take, with built-in rooms offering views of clear blue water, rugged gray mountains, and harsh but beautiful desertscapes.
But this win creates clear blue water from the relegation zone after a third game unbeaten.
There is no clear blue water between the top handicaps and Pattern races.