BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Snuffy
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 09:16 AM

Well if they do the same to the word (and the object) "Bush", which is far more offensive to many of us ....

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 07:29 AM

Black...can we still refer to things as being black. Is that word not being expunged from the language on grounds that it may give offence.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 06:35 PM

Okay, GUEST, I'll bite:   What?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 06:10 PM

gfjlkskghj;xj io bjl j seuo ijdlisng iasugij how r u?

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Rapparee
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 08:57 AM

Never heard of it before. Like the term "Devil's Night" for Hallowe'en.

Sounds like a media creation.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Snuffy
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 08:47 AM

Bad (not black) Friday was what my kids called Friday 13th: I suppose they got it from schoolmates, but it was a new one to me.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: hilda fish
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 01:40 AM

Amazing! Apart from the many Black Friday bushfires, we also have the famous Black Friday Bondi wave that carried many people to their deaths; as well there are a number of massacres here in Australia that are called 'Black Friday' this or that. Friday 13th has always been referred to as 'black friday' from my childhood onwards and even now if a Friday falls on the 13th, then its referred to as 'black friday'. Interesting things dates. November 11th is another one that has had so many things happen such as its the day that Ned Kelly got hung, the day of the bloodless coup, armistice day etc. But I digress - its not called black friday, just November 11th.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 01:40 AM

The "retail" definition has to be questioned (but not seriously) since in many areas of the US, for at least a couple of decades, the "Christmas stuff" hits the shelves in mid to early AUGUST. A few places recently have started setting up for Christmas during the last week of July.

Quite recently one local retailer announced that he was going to "wait until October" because with all the Xmas stuff going on sale in August "his kids got bored" with the whole idea of Christmas by the time it got here. The local newsrag interviewed him about this radical concept and ran the story on the front page....

John

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From:
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 01:13 AM

Hi

There are a few errors in regard to "Black Friday" presented on this page, which may need a little clarifying. There are several 'Black Fridays' in economic history.

Dec 5, 1745 - English Black Friday. Jacobite Rebellion.
May 11, 1866 - English Black Friday. Overend Guerney collapse.
Sept 24, 1869 - US Black Friday. Gold panic
May 9, 1873 - Austrian Black Friday. Vienna leasing crisis.
Sept 19, 1873 - US Black Friday.
May 13, 1927 - German Black Friday.

Then there are several other black days that readers also may be interested in.

The peak of the 1929 crash occurred on Oct 29, which is referred to as Black Tuesday. The 1987 panic took place on Oct 19 and is known as Black Monday.

May 9, 1901 saw a US Black Thursday due to railroad company speculation, while a US Black Wednesday happened on July 26, 1893 during the height of that panic. Sept 16, 1992 saw a British Black Wednesday with the collapse of the pound.

These are all the black days to my knowledge. Others may wish to extend this listing.

Curiously many of these dates (1745, 1866, 1873, 1893, 1929, 1987) fall in the 9/56 year panic cycle, articles on which are presented on: www.davidmcminn.com

www.davidmcminn.com

Regards Simon Hughes

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 01:12 AM

This is the first year I've heard the term "Black Friday," and suddenly I've been hearing it everywhere. So have many of you, apparently.

I don't have much background in retail, but I have worked as Santa Claus at a major shopping mall the last couple of years, starting work a week *before* Thanksgiving, and never once heard anyone say "Black Friday" before this year.

I don't doubt that it's been an insider's term for years and years, but it seems to have been revealed to the general public quite suddenly this year.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: jaze
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 08:31 PM

It's the LAST day you'd catch me anywhere near a retail store! Crazy people come out of the woodwork as if they couldn't buy what they wanted the day before.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Joybell
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 07:56 PM

Thanks freda. It was a bad one wasn't it? Not that we are quite old enough to have been here. Oh dear as if I wasn't hot and sad enough! 1939 that was it.
There was a long-forgotten fire back in 1852 that was probably even worse. Almost he whole state of Victoria burned. Melbourne was covered with thick smoke for weeks. It started over here in the West somewhere. Western District Aboriginals thought Bungil the great Eagle-spirit was destroying the White settlers for them. Scared them but didn't stop them as it happened. Joy

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: GUEST,Nancy King at work
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 12:49 PM

Like Mmario, I had heard this expression from people who worked in retail, and assumed they called it that because it was a "killer" work day. But recently I heard on the TV news the explanation that it was when retailers went from being "in the red" to being "in the black," in terms of their profit for the year. Sounds reasonable to me.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 11:44 AM

As long as I can remember, (this is in Scotland) I've heard people refer to Friday 13th (of any month) as Black Friday. Friday 13th as you will know, is supposed to be an unlucky day.

However, it may be an adoption, within living memory, from one of the many "Black" Fridays that have been nominated.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: freda underhill
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 08:36 AM

the Black friday bushfires

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: MMario
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 08:31 AM

well - I've heard the term 'Black Friday' for the day after thanksgiving since I was in grade school - and that's a few decades back! Quite possibly though because we had a number of family friends involved in retail. I never knew any kind of deerivation for it - most of the salespeople I know tend to think of it as "Black Friday" because they work their butts off!

A local term I've heard for it is "Hunt Friday"

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: The Beast of Farlington
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 08:27 AM

Steely Dan had a song called Black Friday. Any relation?

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 05:13 AM

Stock market crash 1929 started on October 25 (Black Friday) and lasted some days, all called Black ...
"Black Friday" for a stock market crash is older, in Germany Black Friday was May 9, 1873.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 05:29 PM

As William Carlos Williams might say if he was around today------

It all depends
on the Nazgul

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Joybell
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 05:23 PM

Black Friday here in Victoria, Australia refers to a particularly bad day during a particularly bad bushfire (back in about the 1930s from memory - my thought processes are suffering with the heat, opposite problem from Alaska Mike's.)
Since then, of course, we've had so many "black somethingdays" of bushfires that we've run out of days.
Alaska Mike - bring us an iceberg or two, polar bears optional, and we'll put you up for the Summer. Joy

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Peace
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 03:50 PM

Google

"Black Friday", business

Lotsa stuff there, PG.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 03:41 PM

Quite good to have one instance where "Black" means something good.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 03:29 PM

You are correct, I've always had trouble keeping my days of the week straight. Brain...not...working...too...cold.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Amergin
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 03:24 PM

Alaska Mike...the stockmarket crash was "Black Monday" and the book was "Black Sunday"....

the following is from the net:

What is Black Friday?
Definition: The day after Thanksgiving in the United States, is frequently referred to as Black Friday.

General Use: One of the major U.S. holiday shopping days. The day many U.S. consumers begin Christmas shopping. The day is heavily promoted by retailers.

Origin: The origin of Black Friday comes from the shift to profitability during the holiday season. Black Friday was when retailers went from being unprofitable, or "in the red," to being profitable, or "in the black", at a time when accounting records were kept by hand and red indicated loss and black profit.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 02:58 PM

Shouldn't it be called 'Gold' Friday?

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 02:49 PM

It's probably a business insiders' term. This particular "Black Friday" I heard explained on NPR the other day as the day that retail businesses get back into the black (or the start of the season that gets them into the black) for the year.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 02:28 PM

Black Friday usually refers to the day in October 1929 when the stock market crashed. Also refers to a book by Thomas Harris. Those are the only references that come to my mind, Dave. I too never heard the Friday after Thanksgiving referred to as such.

Mike

Subject: BS: 'Black Friday' What is this?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 02:24 PM

For the last two days on broadcast media I've heard reference to "Black Friday" as the day after Thanksgiving, which is the BIG business day in most retail businesses.

I've never before heard this expression in my life, and I'm 74 now. Have I been missing something for all that time? Or is this a new coinage? The announcers used it as if everyone would recognize it.

Dave Oesterreich