Idiom
In the black
If a business or person is in the black, they are making a profit or have more money than they owe.
How people use it
It is mostly used for companies, budgets and bank accounts: "After two hard years, the cafe is finally in the black." The opposite is in the red, meaning losing money or in debt. Common verbs are be, stay, get back and finish the year in the black. The tone is neutral, so it fits news reports as well as everyday talk. People sometimes mix the two up, so remember: black is good news, red is bad news.
Also said: back in the black.
Examples
- The bookstore stayed in the black this year thanks to strong holiday sales.
- Once I paid off my credit card, my bank account was back in the black.
- The school fundraiser finished in the black, with enough left over to buy new sports equipment.
Where it comes from
It comes from bookkeeping. Accountants traditionally wrote profits and positive balances in black ink and losses or debts in red ink, so a quick look at the ledger showed how a business was doing. The phrase is recorded from the early 1900s, around the same time as in the red.
Check yourself
1. If a company is in the black, what does that mean?
Answer: It is making a profit. In the black means profitable; in the red means losing money.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: After cutting costs, the restaurant got back in the black.. In the black refers to finances, so a restaurant returning to profit fits.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in BLACK.