off-color

especially British, off-col·our
Also off-col·ored

[awf-kuhl-er, of-]

adjective

1. not having the usual or standard color.

   an off-color gem.

2. of doubtful propriety or taste; risqué.

   an off-color joke.

   Synonyms: blue, earthy, salty, spicy, racy

3. not in one's usual health.

   to feel off-color.

Word History and Origins

Origin of off-color¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

The humor, at once simple and clever, innocent and off-color, amiably wants to get a rise, and Horn isn’t too proud to go low in his genial wordplay.

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Part off-color drag act, part Carol Burnett-style sketch comedy, the show has survived on its bountiful comedic wits to become one of the hottest Broadway tickets of the year.

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In fact, the only stumble Glaser took would be her off-color handful of jokes about the allegations surrounding Diddy.

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The race, which pitted a brazenly off-color indie-spirited musical with puppets against a commercial juggernaut from Oz, culminated in a collective gasp when the envelope was read.

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Yashou was no fan of Assad: He had been picked up by one of the country’s notoriously strict intelligence services for an off-color remark about the president in a phone call with a friend.

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Related Words

• racy 
• salty 
• suggestive 
• vulgar