What does ‘in the red / in the black’ mean?
To “in the red / in the black” means to losing money / making a profit. A 20th-century accountant's idiom, from the traditional practice of writing debits in red ink and credits in black; not in Brewer's 1898.
Origin
- A 20th-century accountant's idiom, from the traditional practice of writing debits in red ink and credits in black; not in Brewer's 1898.
How to use it
- Standard business shorthand.
- Example: The company is finally back in the black.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.