# Grey and Gray **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 1999, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168 "1999-11-30T15:00:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dxmart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@dxmart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dxmart)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/1 "1999-11-30T15:00:00Z")
Does anyone know the difference between the words “grey” and “gray”? I just never bothered to investigate this one, so I’m hoping someone else knows the answer. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/2 "1999-11-30T15:12:00Z")
The letters **a** and **e**. The Middle English word was _græg_. Several world that ended _-æg_ are now spelled _-ey_, but the only other **common** word that has survived is “clay.” The OED has an entire paragraph devoted to the various authorities who prefer one over the other, and winds up saying both are equally acceptable (at least in Britain in 1919). * * * Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/3 "1999-11-30T15:13:00Z")
First smart-ass answer: The third letter’s different. 🙂 Second s-a answer: “Gray” is the lightest shade, almost white. “Grey” is slightly darker. The next three shades are griy, groy, and gruy. 🙂 🙂 Real answer: “Gray” is the color. “Grey” is the last name (Joel Grey, Lady Jane Grey, Zane Grey, Jennifer Grey). ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/4 "1999-11-30T15:13:00Z")
Here’s on online dictionary for ya. [www.onelook.com](http://www.onelook.com) * * * **Dopeler effect:** The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/5 "1999-11-30T15:15:00Z")
All right you clowns; quit spoon-feeding these people. Nice smart-ass remarks though. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/6 "1999-11-30T15:17:00Z")
Grey is the British spelling, gray is the American spelling. * * * “It says, I choo-choo-choose you. And it’s got a picture of a train.” – Ralph Wiggum ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/7 "1999-11-30T17:59:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Real answer: “Gray” is the color. “Grey” is the last name (Joel > Grey, Lady Jane Grey, Zane Grey, Jennifer Grey). John Gray (“author” of Men Are From Mars…) and the Crayola company would beg to differ. * * * Designated Optional Signature at Bottom of Post ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/8 "1999-12-01T06:18:00Z")
_AHunter3: John Gray (“author” of Men Are From Mars…) and the Crayola company would beg to differ._ The author is actually colored gray. And the crayon grey was actually developed by a scientist by the name of Grey. So there! :O) ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/9 "1999-12-01T06:43:00Z")
Gray is the unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation, equal approximately to the absorbed dose delivered when the energy per unit mass imparted to matter by ionizing radiation is 1 joule per kilogram. Duh. The unit is named after… umm… some guy named Gray Also: English poet Thomas Gray botanist Asa Gray telephone inventor (almost) Elisha Gray Little Orphan Annie cartoonist Harold Gray British dramatist Simon Gray first American circumnavigator Robert Gray Supreme Court justice Horace Gray Scottish prelate Gordon Joseph Cardinal Gray Where’s Deceased Equine when you need him? * * * Back off, man. I’m a scientist. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/10 "1999-12-01T06:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Where’s Deceased Equine when you need him? That ol’ gray mare’s not what she used to be. * * * Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/11 "1999-12-01T01:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > And the crayon grey was actually developed by a scientist by the name of Grey. The annoying thing is I know I’m going to be seeing this on a future list of “50 Weird Facts”. ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/12 "1999-12-01T05:51:00Z")
I wish you people would stick to questions with nice black-and-white answers. Ray (short of gray matter) ---
**Author:** ![putrid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@putrid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/putrid)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/13 "1999-12-01T08:43:00Z")
I agree that _Gray_ is _way_ more common a spelling for the name than _Grey_. As for the color, _grey_ is preferred by Straight Dope Message Boarders, while _gray_ is the spelling of choice for AOL-users and Strate Dope Message Borders. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 1999, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/14 "1999-12-02T06:15:00Z")
> [@](#): > > gray is the spelling of > choice for AOL-users and Strate Dope Message Borders. Naah, that’s **gry**. Oh, wait… * * * Designated Optional Signature at Bottom of Post ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 1999, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/15 "1999-12-02T06:43:00Z")
\*Mike King: quote [AWB]: \
And the crayon grey was actually developed by a scientist by the name of Grey. \
The annoying thing is I know I’m going to be seeing this on a future list of “50 Weird Facts”.\* Um, Mike. My smiley face didn’t quite come out on that post. I was being facetious; I have no idea who invented gray crayons. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/16 "1999-12-01T21:23:00Z")
Grey is prettier. * * * “It is lucky for rulers that men do not think.” — Adolf Hitler ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 1999, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/17 "1999-12-02T10:00:00Z")
Only hounds are grey. Everything else is gray, especially when it’s smoggy. Ray (and on Ash Wednesday) ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 1999, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/18 "1999-12-07T07:20:00Z")
Crayola was my first exposure to grey. It will be grey for me forever more. And I’ve never seen the sheet music for _The Old Grey Mare_ to spell it ‘gray.’ And what is Susan Dey been doing nowadays? After _L.A. Law_ she went back into obscurity. Peace. ---
**Author:** ![putrid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@putrid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/putrid)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 1999, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/19 "1999-12-07T20:34:00Z")
She was in that sitcom for awhile, until she was replaced by Annie Potts. Supposedly Dey wasn’t funny enough but how funny do you have to be to act in a hack comedy? Her being fired broke my heart. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Keeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Keeves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeves)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 1999, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168/20 "1999-12-07T21:32:00Z")
According to [http://us.imdb.com/Name?Dey,+Susan](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Dey,+Susan) , she’s been averaging one made-for-tv movie per year since 1970. But the last one was in 1997. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grey-and-gray/5168.md?page=2)