in the red

In debt, as in Joshua can't keep track of funds, so half the time his company is in the red. This expression alludes to the bookkeeping practice of marking debits in red ink and credits in black. It survives even in the age of computerized accounts. So does the antonym, in the black, for being financially solvent or out of debt, as in Bill was happy to say they were in the black. [Early 1900s]

Words Nearby in the red

in the offing
in the pink
in the pipeline
in the public eye
in the raw
in the red
in there pitching
in the rough
in the round
in the running
in the saddle

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