Why Do We Call Today 'Black Friday'?

Contrary to popular belief, the phrase “Black Friday” does not come from businesses finally being able to make a profit (getting out of the red and into the black) due to the day after Thanksgiving shopping rush.

In 2012, linguist Ben Zimmer joined Radio Boston to reveal the true origin of “Black Friday” — which includes disgruntled police officers, absentee factory workers and worried commercial retailers.

Ben Zimmer, language columnist for The Wall Street Journal. He tweets @bgzimmer.