Tuesday, 14 August 2012

Why Grey Fox and not Silver Fox?

I've been asked why this blog isn't called Silver Fox (defined as an attractive older man), so I thought I'd offer an explanation.

Here is an excellent reason for not calling this blog Silver Fox!
Here are a few reasons -
  1. When conceiving the idea of a blog I heard a young woman describe an older man as a silver fox and this formed the basis of the name. I felt, however, that the term sometimes has predatory connotations; Terry Thomas leering at some gorgeous young girl - "helleeeeww". He is a bit of a bounder, cad and scoundrel. I continued my search for a name.
  2. I am in my fifties and my hair is greying, rather than completely silver.
  3. Someone pointed out that the word 'grey' can mean boring or lifeless. I was aware of this, but felt that I would use the word with an ironic sense - grey foxes need not be uninteresting.
  4. A silver fox is, by definition, attractive. A grey fox is generally smartly-dressed and stylish, but not necessarily conventionally good-looking.
And, no, the name's got nothing to do with Fifty Shades of Grey. I hadn't even heard of the book when I arrived at a name.
Terry Thomas (left) in School for Scoundrels. The ultimate silver fox and cad.
Of course, the spelling of the word 'grey' marks this blog out as British, rather than US, where the word would be spelled 'gray'. With access to UK and US English an everyday occurrence on the Web, I felt this was no problem - and, after all, I am British. I didn't anticipate, incidentally, that I would welcome so many readers from the USA.

So, there you are.




2 comments:

cheshire wife said...

My husband is a silver/grey fox, but is not interested in clothes. What does this make him?

Grey Fox said...

Lucky!