Submitted by marta  •  August 10, 2004

Flying (with) Colours?

Why are the colours flying in the idiom “to do something with flying colours”?

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speedwell2

August 18, 2004, 1:25pm

Ah. Sorry. Eating popcorn on my lunch hour. :) Here's the link.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/6/mess...

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speedwell2

August 18, 2004, 1:25pm

Found this today. It's interesting, and it contains a first use of the phrase. I should mention that "colors" is, if I'm not mistaken, the official british and American Navy word for the flags.

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marta

August 18, 2004, 6:51am

I like Speedwell's explanation. In that case an exam is like a battle, if we win (pass) it we have our colours (flags) flying, if we don't we end up as losers.

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speedwell2

August 11, 2004, 2:28pm

Dave, you're right. The "colors" are flags, and a ship from one country that emerged victorious in a sea battle with a ship from another country would have its own colors "flying." The colors of the losing ship would have been confiscated by the winner. Or so I understand.

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Dave  (unregistered)

August 10, 2004, 7:10am

The saying is "to pass with flying colours", i.e. in reference to passing an exam or test. My instinctive guess would be that it is something to do with flags.

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Dyske

August 10, 2004, 7:04am

Marta,

I keep replying to your email, but you don't seem to get it.

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