What it means
Means you smashed it, not just scraped by. Most often used with exams, interviews, inspections, anything where you can pass or fail. If you do it with flying colours, you’ve excelled so hard people are a bit stunned. The phrase nods to old military and naval imagery of coming home with your colours still flying, victory intact.
Usage examples
"I thought I’d absolutely bodge the driving test, but I passed with flying colours, zero minors, and the examiner was grinning the whole way back."
"She passed her music grade five with flying colours, the examiner wrote a note saying it was the best Beethoven sonatina he had heard from a teenager all month, total dream."
"Granddad finished the Couch to 5K with flying colours at the age of seventy-two, ran the final week without stopping, and now spends every Sunday morning at the parkrun in the village."
"I was bricking it about the interview, then somehow came out with flying colours and got the job call before I'd even made it home."
"Their food hygiene inspection could've been a total bin fire, but the café passed with flying colours and now the owner won't stop buzzing about it."
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Where it comes from
This one really does come from military and naval talk, where colours meant the flags a regiment or ship carried. If they came back with those flags still flying, it meant they'd held firm and come through with honour. By the 18th and 19th centuries, English stretched it into doing brilliantly in any pass-or-fail situation.
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