Having a very red face, typically from embarrassment, anger, exertion, or heat. The phrase emphasizes an intense reddening of the complexion by comparing it to the deep red color of beetroot.
This comparison became popular in the 19th century when beets were common vegetables that everyone recognized for their distinctive deep red color. The simile works because both human faces and beets can display that same intense, uniform redness.
Beets are perfect for this comparison because they're not just red - they're so intensely red that they stain everything they touch, just like how extreme embarrassment or anger seems to completely saturate someone's face with color. The phrase also has a slightly humorous quality because it compares human emotion to a humble root vegetable.
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