In the Pink

The earliest known reference to this phrase was in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (1597). There are several variations on this phrase as time has gone on. 'In the pink of the mode', and other words at the end of the phrase can be used to describe being the best of something. In the pink of health, in the pink of condition, and even in the pink of sickness.

It is speculated that the phrase is derived from British fox-hunters, but their coats were red, and thus is a very poor definition. The more generally accepted origin is from the Dianthus flower, which is nicknamed 'Pinks'. This is because the flower itself is pink. There is an argument that the color pink was named after the flower, much like the color orange and plum take their names from fruit.

The reason that pink was associated with excellence was because of Queen Elizabeth I's fondness of the flower. This is around the same time the phrase was first known to be used.