A Gray Area

Spelling isn’t always black or white: Take the word gray, which can also be spelled grey. In America, gray is more common, while grey is preferred in the U.K. and Canada. One stateside exception is greyhound, but why? While gray and grey come from the Old English word for the shade, graeg, the speedy canine’s name comes from the Old English grighund, with grig likely meaning “female dog.”