Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
Proofreading Service - Pain in the English

Your Pain Is Our Pleasure

24-Hour Proofreading Service—We proofread your Google Docs or Microsoft Word files. We hate grammatical errors with a passion. Learn More

Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
Proofreading Service - Pain in the English

Your Pain Is Our Pleasure

24-Hour Proofreading Service—We proofread your Google Docs or Microsoft Word files. We hate grammatical errors with a passion. Learn More

Flying (with) Colours?

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

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Marta,

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

Dyske Aug-10-2004

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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.

Dave3 Aug-10-2004

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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.

speedwell2 Aug-11-2004

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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.

marta Aug-18-2004

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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.

speedwell2 Aug-18-2004

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

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/6/messages/572.html

speedwell2 Aug-18-2004

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