Why are foxes called charlies?

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Here male foxes are called reynards and females are vixens.

If they are called Charlies where you live it is a local dialect. 50% 5 Votes

Other Answers (2)

• Just as many present day people associate fox hunting ( essentially now banned in England ) as being the %26#039;sport%26#039; of %26#039;toffs and %26#039;country gentlemen%26#039; a similar attitude existed in the 18th Century. The political party then known as the Whigs ( forunners of the present Liberal Party ) had a Prime Minister called Charles James Fox. The Whigs made fun of the fox hunting supporters who were mainly found amongst their political opponents ranks, and abused them calling them %26#039;toffs%26#039;. As a result of this the inevitable link between hunting a fox was linked to the Whig P.M and %26#039;charlie%26#039; got his name. Please, I take no sides in the debate about the practise of hunting, merely try to give an historical explanation. 30% 3 Votes
• This is a tough one!
  
  At etymoline.com, I found a reference dating from 1857 when %26quot;charlie%26quot; was another word for a fox. In this instance, maybe fox means an attractive person?
  
  I%26#039;ve also seen %26quot;charlie%26quot; used as another word for %26quot;jester%26quot; and I know historically, people have thought of foxes as %26quot;tricksters.%26quot; I don%26#039;t know if it%26#039;s a real correlation there, or if it%26#039;s just me. etymoline.com 20% 2 Votes