<p>The taboo is just due to the general view that foxes are inauspicious/trickster/fierce animals.</p>

<p>Reference 1 (<a href="https://new.qq.com/omn/20171112/20171112A08Q1T.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://new.qq.com/omn/20171112/20171112A08Q1T.html</a>):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>蜀话中的忌讳说凶恶动物</strong>，例如蛇在四川话中的讳称有“梭老二”、“梭梭”、“干黄鳝”、“长虫”等，老虎在四川话中的讳称有“猫猫”、“大猫”、“大头猫”、“扁担花”等，<strong>狐狸在四川话中的讳称为“毛狗”，老鼠在鼠话中的讳称有“耗子”、“老水子”、“高客”、“喜马”等</strong>。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Reference 2 (<a href="https://wenku.baidu.com/view/7890ddc05fbfc77da269b180.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://wenku.baidu.com/view/7890ddc05fbfc77da269b180.html</a>):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>俗传狐狸成精后,会变成女人害人,故成都、重庆、南川、阆中、泸州、西充、綦江、金堂、仪陇、云阳等地改称为“毛 狗”。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-02T13:14:46.877Z
I thought there would be more to it. The wiki link I put in my question also mentions that: `老鼠。此词因自贡民俗中忌讳说“鼠”(谐音“输”）而改称。` Snake I’ve heard being taboo because it sounds like 蚀.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-02T16:18:52.207Z
@user3306356 I guess the real reason for the taboo will be lost in folk etymology...
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-02T10:33:54.943Z
2019-04-02T10:33:54.943Z
dROOOze
<p>On the Wiki page for <a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%87%AA%E8%B4%A1%E8%AF%9D%E6%B0%91%E4%BF%97%E7%89%B9%E8%89%B2%E8%AF%8D%E6%B1%87%E5%88%97%E8%A1%A8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">自贡话民俗特色词汇列表</a> there's an entry that says:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ul>
  <li>毛狗：狐狸(民间因犯忌讳而改称)。</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>What is the taboo against 狐狸 (fox) though?</p>

<p>Is there some relation to 狸 being a homophone with 利? </p>

<meaning>
What is the taboo against "fox"?
# What is the taboo against "fox"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-04-02)

On the Wiki page for [自贡话民俗特色词汇列表](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%87%AA%E8%B4%A1%E8%AF%9D%E6%B0%91%E4%BF%97%E7%89%B9%E8%89%B2%E8%AF%8D%E6%B1%87%E5%88%97%E8%A1%A8) there's an entry that says:

> * 毛狗：狐狸(民间因犯忌讳而改称)。

What is the taboo against 狐狸 (fox) though?

Is there some relation to 狸 being a homophone with 利?

**Tags:** meaning

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-04-02. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The taboo is just due to the general view that foxes are inauspicious/trickster/fierce animals.

Reference 1 (<https://new.qq.com/omn/20171112/20171112A08Q1T.html>):

> **蜀话中的忌讳说凶恶动物**，例如蛇在四川话中的讳称有“梭老二”、“梭梭”、“干黄鳝”、“长虫”等，老虎在四川话中的讳称有“猫猫”、“大猫”、“大头猫”、“扁担花”等，**狐狸在四川话中的讳称为“毛狗”，老鼠在鼠话中的讳称有“耗子”、“老水子”、“高客”、“喜马”等**。

Reference 2 (<https://wenku.baidu.com/view/7890ddc05fbfc77da269b180.html>):

> 俗传狐狸成精后,会变成女人害人,故成都、重庆、南川、阆中、泸州、西充、綦江、金堂、仪陇、云阳等地改称为“毛 狗”。

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I thought there would be more to it. The wiki link I put in my question also mentions that: `老鼠。此词因自贡民俗中忌讳说“鼠”(谐音“输”）而改称。` Snake I’ve heard being taboo because it sounds like 蚀.  
> **username_1**: @user3306356 I guess the real reason for the taboo will be lost in folk etymology...  

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