Black Friday

American  

[blak frahy-dey, -dee] / ˈblæk ˈfraɪ deɪ, -di /

noun

1. September 24, 1869, the date of a financial panic sparked by gold speculators.

2. the day after Thanksgiving, one of the busiest shopping days because of discounts offered by retailers.

   I sign up for promotional emails at my favorite stores before Black Friday so I don’t miss any exceptional bargains.

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Black Friday Idioms  

1. Also Black Monday, Black Tuesday, etc. A day of economic catastrophe, as in We feared there'd be another Black Friday . This usage dates from September 24, 1869, a Friday when stock manipulators Jay Gould and James Fisk tried to corner the gold market and caused its collapse. The adjective black has been appended to similar occasions ever since, including October 29, 1929, the Tuesday of the market collapse that marked the start of the Great Depression, and Black Monday of October 19, 1987, when the stock market experienced its greatest fall since the Great Depression.

2. Any day marked by great confusion or activity, as in It was just my luck to be traveling on Black Tuesday . This usage, too, is based on the events of 1869, marked by economic chaos. It has since been extended to other kinds of confusion, such as an accident hampering traffic during the evening rush hour.

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Etymology

Origin of Black Friday

First recorded in 1865–70; from black in the sense “marked by disaster or misfortune”; the 1951 sense “day after Thanksgiving” originally so called from the troublesome traffic caused by shoppers and later re-explained with reference to the use of black ink to record business profits

Example Sentences

For marketers exploring AI search, this year’s Black Friday weekend delivered both a moment of clarity and a series of questions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Early data from Black Friday weekend showed that consumers were out in full force, despite ongoing concerns that inflation’s cumulative effects would keep them home.

From Barron's

This has been linked to shops bringing forward Black Friday discounts due to weak sales as shoppers struggle with the cost of living pressures.

From BBC

One particular covert operation she regularly took part in is one many daughters have had to take with their resolute mothers — Black Friday shopping.

From Los Angeles Times

Those Black Friday missions weren’t the only ways in which Barrera was innately prepared for the role.

From Los Angeles Times