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Pitch Black

Posted by Brian from Shawnee on November 23, 2005

In Reply to: Pitch Black posted by Brian from Shawnee on November 23, 2005

: Where did the phrase "Pitch Black" come from?

Hi Brian, small world.
The saying "pitch black" comes from a substance called pitch, that is black. There are other phrases like it:
Snow White
Rose Red
Sky Blue
Pitch Black

Here's the definition of "pitch" in this sense, from m-w.com:
Main Entry: 1pitch
Pronunciation: 'pich
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English pich, from Old English pic, from Latin pic-, pix; akin to Greek pissa pitch, Old Church Slavonic picilu
1 : a black or dark viscous substance obtained as a residue in the distillation of organic materials and especially tars
2 : any of various bituminous substances
3 : resin obtained from various conifers and often used medicinally
4 : any of various artificial mixtures resembling resinous or bituminous pitches

P.S. Please bill yourself as "Brian from Atlanta" or something in the future, to avoid confusion.

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