Ok, I missed it I guess. Why is it called "Black Friday"

[BootinUp]

and who named it?

I'd like to see a thread ridicule the idea as much as possible please.

[TomInTib]

1. This is the day that puts retailers in the "Black".

Not that you could tell by me. It is so slow here that I am headed for the Gin bottle, and it is not yet one o'clock.

[Common Sense Party]

5. No recession here, from the looks of it. People were buying an

unfathomable amount of stuff.

[fascisthunter]

6. Well... I Just...

smoked a bowl... my dilated pupils are black and it's friday.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

7. When all else fails...

There is always a well-made Martini to pull you through. ;-)

[TomInTib]

15. Accept no substitute.

Swirl of Vermouth

Healthy dose of Bombay Sapphire

Twist of rind

And a Kind Woman's touch

Happy Thanksgiving, Friend.

Tom

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

25. Addendum:

A quarter inch of ouzo in a bar straw, held in by your finger on the top. Put the straw in, let go, swirl twice and that's that.

I shit you not. When I was bartending, I had a close knit bunch of Martini drinkers who loved me for that touch.

[tekisui]

2. I thinkit is to get all the retails into the black, out of the red.

But, today, 3 people have been killed shopping, and one woman micarried in a mob.

So, it means something worse, now.

[glowing]

8. The woman didn't miscarry.. apparently she's ok.. they just reported on MSNBC.

[tekisui]

9. Oh, good.

That would have been tragic.

[GodlessBiker]

3. It's the day of the year when stores go in the black, that is, they make a profit.

As opposed to being in the red.

[BootinUp]

18. So I probably heard that before and forgot.

But why not just call it the day after Thanksgiving or the Friday after Thanksgiving? Seems kinda silly for it to get its own name and enter everyday conversations and largely because of advertisements.

[GodlessBiker]

27. Economists named it.

[KansDem]

4. I heard on the BBC this morning that it's the day when retailers move from the "red" to the "black"

But I could be wrong...:shrug:

[MorningGlow]

10. Cash-register monkeys see it as the blackest of all days, that's for sure

I am a former cash-register monkey, and my fellow retail slaves and I always dreaded the day. No way anybody got it off, either--it was "all hands on deck" for the madness.

Yeah, that's not the real definition, but it was for us.

[bushmeister0]

16. I worked at TRU for 5 years and Kay Bee for three so that's what I always thought it meant.

[LeftyMom]

26. I've seen cashiers reduced to tears on Black Friday.

And I've known more than one who went on "lunch" or "break" on that day and never returned. Can't say I blamed them.

[Lerkfish]

11. its an old accountant's thing: red ink entries = debt, black ink = profit

the old adding machines that printed to paper rolls would print negative balances in red.
I believe its called "Black Friday" because it USED to be that the sales on this one day would be enough to push the yearly balance sheets over to black. Retail stores really do make or break their profits on holiday shopping.

That's why we'll probably see a lot of bankrupt retailers come spring because most people are cutting back instead of spending on this holiday.

[gravity]

12. I thought it was a tongue in cheek expression

Playing off the Black Monday because of all the chaos in the day.

Or it could just mean that it is when stores go into the black, because they make the most profits that day

[fascisthunter]

13. Seems Apt

I mean to call it Black Friday, as if it were a black hole representing those those who feel the need to buy something to fill their emptyiness...

[BootinUp]

21. Ok, you may have a valid point there.

[blondeatlast]

14. As mentioned above, it USED to be the day retailers could count on

to make their goals for the year (not exactly to turn from red to black ink, but close enough). If you want to gauge the true economic situation you will know it from retail results from Black Friday.

This year it is NOT going to be good. Retailers have been conservative in their buying as is--and if they don't move what they have, this economy is in the toilet.

FWIW--last year was a a Black Hole Friday. This year will not be better and apt to be much worse.

Make that much, much worse...

[Bucky]

17. Because we live in a racist society that's run by The Man

Also that retail sales thing

[BootinUp]

19. thats sarcasm right?

I don't think there is a racism connection. lol.

[greguganus]

20. LOL. n/t

[Deja Q]

23. Gee, this is one of the few times being black is good!

Being "in the red" means you're in debt and think of how we suckered the red man out of Manhattan for $24 of snot covered beads (which were probably big diamonds, but whatever...)

[Bucky]

24. The other one being...?

When you kick out a post-turtle and bring in a Hope!

[Deja Q]

22. Because "Black Death" was already taken and people have to be reminded of sales-related

robberies, stabbings, shootings, trampling overs, and so on.


:shrug:

[TypeKast]

28. Maybe

Maybe because black in the stock market means good something.. don't remember, I don't participate.