Today the phrase ‘in the pink’ means ‘in good health’ but this phrase didn’t originally refer to health but meant that a person had reached the pinnacle of achievement or status in what endeavor?
Color Quiz Answer:
Fox Hunting. The phrase came out of the English fox hunting tradition where a rider was not granted the right to don the scarlet colored jackets called pinks until he demonstrated superior horsemanship and service to the hunt. Being “in the pink” meant the rider had reached the pinnacle of achievement or status in the hunt. The use of the phrase “in the pink” evolved to be used more broadly to mean ‘the very pinnacle of’ something but not necessarily the hunt during the 18th century. It isn’t until the early 20th century that we see the phrase being used with its current associations.
