The word black is not simply a description sued when talking about the colour of something. It is a word that carries lots of meanings and uses from describing someone’s mood to the biggest online sales day of the year. Knowing how and when to use this word is important as it is easy to learn and to write but can be very powerful in conversation and written communication.
What is the Colour Black
The actual meaning of the word black when talking about colour is to describe an absence of colour not a colour itself. This means when something is black it actually has no colour at all and it appears black because it doesn’t reflect any light. When something is green it is because the surface of that object only reflects green light. So when something is black…it reflects nothing at all!
Black Friday
Black Friday began as a sale event in the USA where stores would offer huge discounts on items on and offline. The original idea was to have a sale day just after the US holiday of Thanks Giving which is the 3rd Thursday in November. It has now moved to many other parts of the world who do not celebrate thanks giving. It is certainly popular in the UK where 1000s of people prepare for online deals and to head out to the shops to grab some discounted items. It is a great time to sign up for subscription services, buy new games, TVs or clothing.
Black Mood
Black is often used to describe emotions that are sad or angry. Someone might say they were in a black mood; this would mean they were very unhappy and perhaps very angry too.
In The Black
It may sound like something negative but when it comes to money being “in the black” is a very good thing. The black describes a situation where you have money in your bank account. If you run out of money and have to use a loan or some of the bank’s money it is described as being in the red. If you work in sales or business being in the black in terms of customers, business targets or money being made by the company is a very good thing!
Black and Blue
The term black is often used in English to describe someone who has been injured. In some cases it can refer to someone suffering an attacked or having a fight; someone might say he was beaten black and blue. But it is also used to describe someone who may have fallen over; someone might say “they are ok but they are black and blue”. This would mean the person is fine but has a few bruises. If someone has a bruised eye this is often called a “Black eye”.
Black as Pitch?
Pitch is a tar like substance used in making roofs and roads. Often the term Pitch Black is used to describe something that is very very black. The most common place this is used is when describing how dark the night is outside. Someone might say “Don’t go out there, it’s pitch black” or “turn the light on, it’s pitch black in here”. It is a very useful term to use when you want to describe not being able to see because the room or place is very dark.
Blacked Out
If someone passes out or faints this is often called blacking out. This can happen if someone is too hot, feels unwell or perhaps gets hit on the head. If someone blacks out they would be unconscious for a short while and you should seek medical help for them.
The Black Sheep of the Family
This is a saying, or idiom used to describe a member of the family who is often in trouble or not very friendly to others. To be described as the black sheep of the family is normally negative but if someone wants to be very different from their family it can sometimes be a positive term for them.