tickled pink
informal phrase

- very pleased; delighted

The American Heritage Dictionary

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ORIGIN

“Tickled pink” derives from “tickled” meaning pleased or delighted. Tickled dates from the 16th century when Shakespeare used the expression in Coriolanus Act I, Scene 1: “tickled with good success”.

“Tickled pink”, however, is a much newer expression originating the late 19th/early 20th century. This is possibly from association with the phrase “in the pink”, meaning in good condition or health, but more likely from the pink or reddish flush that some people display when they are happy or excited.

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COLOURFUL PHRASES

- to become blue in the face = to attempt something for a very long time

- to have a yellow streak = to tend to be fearful or afraid

- to be in the pink = to be in the best of health or condition

- to be in the red = to be losing or owing money

- to be green with envy = to be jealous or envious

- to be in black and white = to be recorded in written form

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SYNONYMS

- feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement:

delighted, pleased as punch, tickled to death, overjoyed, on cloud nine, in seventh heaven

aflame, aglow, as happy as a clam, as happy as a sandboy, as happy as Larry, as pleased as Punch, beside oneself, boffo, can’t complain, carried away, champion, chucklesome, chuffed, cock-a-hoop, delighted, deliriously happy, ecstatic, euphoric, exhilarated, fine and dandy, floating on air, full of the joys of spring, fun-filled, golden, happy as a clam/a lark, in heaven, in high spirits/paradise/raptures/rhapsodies/seventh heaven, transports of delight/joy/pleasure, joyful, jubilant, juiced up, jumping, jumping for joy, like a child with a new toy/a dog with two tails/the cat that’s got the cream, magical, on a high/cloud nine/cloud seven/the top of the world, over the moon, popping, rib-tickling, rip-roaring, ripping, side-splitting, spanking, thrilled (to bits / to pieces), TICKLED PINK, tickled to death, uproarious, walking on air, well-pleased, zippy

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“We’d be TICKLED PINK if you visited us next time you are in town.”

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