be tickled pink — to be extremely pleased, delighted, or amused about something
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: to be extremely pleased, delighted, or amused about something
Pronunciation (IPA): /bi ˈtɪkəld pɪŋk/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother was tickled pink when I surprised her with homemade cookies.
- The dog was tickled pink to see his favorite toy after losing it for a week.
- I'm tickled pink that you remembered my birthday!
be tickled pink
NOUN[/bi ˈtɪkəld pɪŋk/]
to be extremely pleased, delighted, or amused about something
She was tickled pink when her grandson surprised her with a homemade birthday cake.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
This phrase combines 'tickle,' derived from the physical sensation of being tickled causing facial flushing, with 'pink,' a 19th-century American colloquialism expressing the rosy complexion associated with joy and delight. The idiom emerged from the observation that both tickling and happiness produce similar facial color changes, blending physical sensation with emotional expression.
Breakdown
tickle (to touch lightly causing laughter and facial reddening) + pink (the rosy hue of happiness and pleasure, used idiomatically to denote emotional joy rather than literal color).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother was tickled pink when I surprised her with homemade cookies.”
“The dog was tickled pink to see his favorite toy after losing it for a week.”
“I'm tickled pink that you remembered my birthday!”
“The teacher was tickled pink when her students threw her a surprise retirement party.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.