Operating at a financial loss or having negative account balances; being in debt or losing money.
This phrase comes from accounting practices where losses were traditionally written in red ink to distinguish them from profits. The practice dates back centuries, but the phrase became common in English in the early 20th century.
The color psychology behind this phrase is fascinating - red has been associated with danger and warning across cultures for millennia, making it a natural choice for indicating financial peril. Interestingly, some cultures use different colors for the same concept, showing how arbitrary yet persistent these associations can be.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.