purple patch

== English == === Etymology === Calque from Latin, see purple prose. === Noun === purple patch (plural purple patches) A period of excellent performance where nearly everything seems to go right, contrasting with a lower general level of performance. (originally) An ornate or elaborate section of a written work; a patch of purple prose. ==== Related terms ==== purple passage purple prose === Further reading === Gary Martin (1997–), “Purple patch”, in The Phrase Finder.