What does ';showing your true colors'; mean?

Hi I have to write a feature story for my school newspaper under the theme of showing your true colors.


Would a Spanish teacher being able to live abroad in Spain fit under that theme?


Thanks!What does ';showing your true colors'; mean?
The expression goes back to the days of fighting sail when ship captains would disguise the nationality of their vessels by flying a false flag. Once in range of their enemy, they would strike the false flag and hoist their own country's flag (their true colors).





While one could say that it means to ';show who you really are';, the connotations of the expression refer more exactly to showing what your loyalties are.





The Spanish teacher story could fit, it's hard to tell without more information.


What does ';showing your true colors'; mean?
It means being your real self, as opposed to posing as someone or something you're not. I don't think the word would apply to your Spanish teacher. A person who exposes himself as a thief, would be someone who shows his true colors..... John McCain showed his true colors when he refused to jump the line in getting out of POW camp.
In the Age of Pirates a pirate ship would fly the flag of a friendly ship until it was up close, and then it would run up the Jolly Rodger when it was to close to escape from.





So the Jolly Rodger was their true colours instead of the false flag they usually sailed under.
it means to show the real you. who you are on the inside. no i don't think your Spanish teacher fits under that.





Let me give you an example: Paul knew that Anna cheated on him, He finally saw her true colors.
Showing your true colors comes from naval history.The captains of ships would fly a nations flag until they got close enough for battle then would display the real flag they flew
showing who you are on the inside.