# Strawberry blondes and auburns: are they redheads? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939 "2014-03-05T16:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/1 "2014-03-05T16:56:54Z")
A term that has always annoyed me is “strawberry blonde”, mainly because virtually everyone who gets this term is far more blonde than redhead. “Auburn” I hate less, because they’re more distinct from other brunettes, but I still don’t count them as redheads. People who use these terms always sound like they want to be redheads because redheads are cool these days. What do you think? And what do you consider the definitive “strawberry blonde” or auburn haired person? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/2 "2014-03-05T17:38:51Z")
I’ve never understood the term “strawberry blonde” well enough to use it myself, or to be sure what does or does not qualify, or WTF it has to do with strawberries. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/3 "2014-03-05T18:03:24Z")
My wife has auburn hair and I know a few people who would be described as strawberry blondes. None of them consider themselves to be redheads. My wife lists her hair as “brown” when filling out forms. She only calls her hair auburn because people so often ask her about her hair color. A lot of people assume that it’s a dye job. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/4 "2014-03-05T20:27:12Z")
I don’t really care. I love them all. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/5 "2014-03-05T20:36:57Z")
I count at least some strawberry blondes, if the blonde is dark enough (often called ginger). I would not count auburn. Nor does it count if you died your hair actual red instead of the orangish color of a real redhead. ---
**Author:** ![Alma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alma)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/6 "2014-03-05T20:39:00Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > A term that has always annoyed me is “strawberry blonde”, mainly because virtually everyone who gets this term is far more blonde than redhead. It’s “strawberry blonde,” so why wouldn’t they be more blonde than redhead? I don’t know anybody identifying as strawberry blonde who would say they are a redhead. It’s a tone different from ash or golden blondes. Actually I don’t currently know any strawberry blondes, it was a color popular in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/7 "2014-03-05T21:19:50Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’ve never understood the term “strawberry blonde” well enough to use it myself, or to be sure what does or does not qualify, or WTF it has to do with strawberries. There seems to be a range of hair colors that might qualify, some of which simply seem to be redheads, to my eye. [This one is pretty close to what I picture when I hear the term “strawberry blonde”](http://www.cromatika.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/strawberry-blonde-hair-with-blonde-highlights-2ut1vrfz.jpg), though I’m pretty positive that it’s not the model’s natural hair color. An old girlfriend had auburn hair. I loved the color, but it wasn’t truly red hair, in my book. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/8 "2014-03-05T21:33:28Z")
Strange. I’ve always understood “strawberry blonde” to refer to brilliantly blindingly bright yellow, without a hint of brown or red or orange – that is, the color of strawberry flowers. Apparently, having just done an image search for “strawberry blonde”, that isn’t what it means. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/9 "2014-03-05T21:38:33Z")
Turn them over and see? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/10 "2014-03-05T21:40:42Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Strange. I’ve always understood “strawberry blonde” to refer to brilliantly blindingly bright yellow, without a hint of brown or red or orange – that is, the color of strawberry flowers. > > Apparently, having just done an image search for “strawberry blonde”, that isn’t what it means. Nope. Strawberry blonde = reddish blonde Auburn = reddish brown ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/11 "2014-03-05T21:51:02Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/12 "2014-03-05T21:53:26Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > [This one is pretty close to what I picture when I hear the term “strawberry blonde”](http://www.cromatika.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/strawberry-blonde-hair-with-blonde-highlights-2ut1vrfz.jpg) That’s [Jessica Chastain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Chastain) and she is a real redhead. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/13 "2014-03-06T00:11:51Z")
In my mind, when I hear the term “redhead,” I picture a ginger, period. Strawberry blonde is blonde and auburn is brunette. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/14 "2014-03-06T00:44:13Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > A term that has always annoyed me is “strawberry blonde”, mainly because virtually everyone who gets this term is far more blonde than redhead. Well, duh! That’s why they’re called strawberry blondes, instead of strawberry redheads. I’m a strawberry blonde. As a kid, I had more reddish tint to my hair, but as I’ve aged it has become more blonde. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/15 "2014-03-06T01:02:29Z")
Neither are red. I have red hair and I do not like it when people say I have either, they are not synonyms for red, dammit. I’m not fond of either group claiming to be a redhead too, OP, so I get where you’re coming from saying it’s an affectation. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/16 "2014-03-06T01:53:40Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > That’s [Jessica Chastain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Chastain) and she is a real redhead. Fair enough. I do like the color of her hair a lot, but I’m partial to all flavors of redheads. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-blondes-and-auburns-are-they-redheads/682939/17 "2014-03-06T02:13:57Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Turn them over and see? Preach it.