Hi, I just wrote this sentence in a piece I'm working on - "I'm tickled pink you can make Saturday" said Ben. Question - is 'tickled pink' just a term for 'happy' that's known in the UK, or is it understood to have the same meaning in other countries?.
Well, I'm from the UK and I've never heard of it, but if I read it I'd know what it meant in context, so I guess other people would too.
I've heard of being 'tickled pink' and yes, it is understood as meaning 'happy' but it's also a cliche. I suppose you can get away with cliches more often in dialogue, if the dialogue is true to the character but a guy saying he's 'tickled pink' sounds strange to me.
If this is a character that would use a phrase like "tickled pink," have him say other effeminate phrases as well. For jollies.
it's not necessarily an 'effeminate' phrase, joanna... it's used by men and women alike... the 'pink' doesn't refer to little girl's supposedly favorite color, but to one getting red in the face, if very ticklish, or tickled for too long...
It's used in New Zealand as well, though I don't think it means 'happy' quite as much as 'pleased'. So if someone said they were tickled pink to know you were coming, it would mean that they were pleased you were coming. Cheers.
