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Okay, personal (newest) pet peeve, but I HATE that the retail inside terminology of "Black Friday" is getting such public play (not just here).

How sad the day after Thanksgiving, and the day intended to kick off the season of giving, has such a dreadful, dark name.

Hate it.

@ Patrick (the other one) - Agreed!

Why does Black in some many people's minds equal dreadful and dark. I like the term Black friday because being "in the black" is one of the few positive things associated with black. Blackball, blackmail, black magic, black cats.

Black is Beautiful!

If that were the origin of the term, I would take no issue. But (as I understand it) it's not.

It's the retail insider term because the day (to work) is such a horror show, and employees have to cut their Thanksgiving festivities short to get up pre-dawn so a million frantic people can get $50 off a Best Buy flat screen.

The term "Black Friday" is meant to mimic "Black Monday." Which was no black-tie-and-tails kind of day.

P2: Gee ... I've read in several places (and just heard on NPR again) that "Black Friday" is so named because it puts retailers "in the black"!

how about "sucks for you day"?

;^)

Jane--

Like I said, it must be my (mis)understanding. But I've known a lot of retail workers who have used the term for years, and they never say it with pride or fondness or in any way remotely celebratory.

Maybe I just know bitter retail queens!!! ;)

I still think the term is dark and dreary and fraught with negativity and is no way to kick off the season.

I think its usage started in the accounting sense, but Ptoo's "bitter retail queens" adopted it as their own, with an ironic, negative meaning. I agree, however, that it's odd to have such an inside-retail term gain such popular usage.