Styleforum › Forums › General › General Chat › Is "grey" a more sophisticated spelling than "gray"?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Is "grey" a more sophisticated spelling than "gray"?

post #1 of 31
3/5/10 at 11:41am
Thread Starter 
The color.

I grew up learning to spell it "gray." Nearly always when I encounter the word in everyday life, it is spelled "gray." Yet somehow when I come to SF, 90% of the time it is spelled "grey." Why?
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 31
3/5/10 at 11:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by overdog View Post
The color. I grew up learning to spell it "gray." Nearly always when I encounter the word in everyday life, it is spelled "gray." Yet somehow when I come to SF, 90% of the time it is spelled "grey." Why?
Grey=how english speakers write it outside of the US Gray=not even all Muricans AFAIK
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 31
3/5/10 at 11:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by overdog View Post
The color.

I grew up learning to spell it "gray." Nearly always when I encounter the word in everyday life, it is spelled "gray." Yet somehow when I come to SF, 90% of the time it is spelled "grey." Why?

What does your spellcheck programme suggest?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 31
3/5/10 at 11:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuuma View Post
Grey=how english speakers write it outside of the US
Gray=not even all Muricans AFAIK

I believe "grey" also means magical or some nonsense like that. There's apparently no real distinction, both are ancient ways of spelling it, at least according to my ColdArchon-certified research

From dictionary.com:

gray
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE grǣg; c. G grau

O.E. græg (Mercian grei), from P.Gmc. *græwyaz (cf. O.N. grar, O.Fris. gre, Du. graw, Ger. grau), from PIE *ghreghwos, but no certain cognates outside Gmc. The distinction between British grey and U.S. gray developed 20c. Gray as figurative for "Southern troops in the U.S. Civil War" is first recorded 1863, in reference to their uniform color.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 31
3/5/10 at 12:03pm
I much prefer grey. The great Viscount Fallodon (Edward Grey, Foreign Office head among other positions) spelled it correctly.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 31
3/5/10 at 12:04pm
I use "grey" when describing cool shades and "gray" for warm shades.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 31
3/5/10 at 12:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuuma View Post
Grey=how english speakers write it outside of the US
Gray=not even all Muricans AFAIK

This is my impression as well. FWIW, I'm a 'Murican, and I spell it grey. When I say it out loud it sounds to me more like it should be spelled with the "e." I also prefer the way it looks with the "e."
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 31
3/5/10 at 12:55pm
gray = gay
grey = ghey
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 31
3/5/10 at 1:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by celticgent View Post
gray = gay
grey = ghey

Confirmed.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 31
3/5/10 at 1:08pm
I have always preferred the original German spelling of the word, "grau".
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 31
3/5/10 at 1:13pm
I'm Inglish and I usually write it "gray", though I can't be sure.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 31
3/5/10 at 4:37pm
Of course "grey' is the higher-class, sophisiticated spelling. Here's why:

It is impossible to type 'gray' whilst keeping one's pinky-fingers elevated above the keyboard. 'Grey,' on the other hand, allows one to keep both pinky-fingers raised - at all times. These distinctions are crucial among my peerage of high-class yokels.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 31
3/5/10 at 4:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas View Post
Of course "grey' is the higher-class, sophisiticated spelling. Here's why:

It is impossible to type 'gray' whilst keeping one's pinky-fingers elevated above the keyboard. 'Grey,' on the other hand, allows one to keep both pinky-fingers raised - at all times. These distinctions are crucial among my peerage of high-class yokels.

I'm not gonna lie: I actually tried this, and it worked!
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 31
3/5/10 at 5:34pm
What is more sophisticated: ax or axe?
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 31
3/5/10 at 5:35pm
when i spell out 'grey' instead of 'gray' on my sale lists, i end up selling at a 16.73% higher price on average.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: General Chat
Styleforum › Forums › General › General Chat › Is "grey" a more sophisticated spelling than "gray"?