Grin like a shot fox?!?

[becki_kanou]

My family and I came across this phrase on several Engrish t-shirts this weekend and were wondering about its origin. A quick google turns up a few seemingly Australian hits. Can any Aussie members confirm or deny the validity of this expression and give a meaning for it? One wouldn't expect a shot fox to be doing to much grinning after all...

[NileCat]

I'm dying to know the origin, too!
I spent almost an hour trying to find out the origin but ended up in vain.
I'm going to see an Aussie today and hope him to know that.
Now I'm exhausted...

[NileCat]

I asked the question to the Aussie guy.
He is a well-educated and smart guy who is in his 30s.
He said,

1. He has never heard of the expression.
2. It does sound Aussie.
3. Maybe it has something to do with the curvature of the mouth.
4. But he has no idea why it has to be dead.
5. He thinks it "bloody unreal".

[Oracle]

I'm Australian and I've never heard that phrase before, but it does sound like something we'd say

[tōkai devotee]

I'm an Aussie too, and I have never heard the expression but agree that it certainly does sound Australian. I'm thinking that it might mean that a fox may still have that sly grin even when they are beaten, or nearly beaten. It may be an older expression which isn't heard much nowadays. I will ask an elderly friend of mine who has lived in rural areas, and I'll get back to you. If she doesn't know then no-one will!

[NocturnalOcean]

Just from slang dictionaries I found in google, it seems to mean:

Grinning like a shot fox - happy, smugly satisfied

Seems to show up in some different articles and such as well. Didn't find any origin though.

[inuinu]

googleしてみたら一応こんな説明が見つかりました。
やはりオーストラリアのスラングらしいです。

Grinning like a shot fox : very happy, smugly satisfied

でもこれだけでは何故こんな意味になるのか、過程がよくわかりませんね。
慣用句の裏にある成立過程を知りたいですね。
その国独特の考え方や美意識などが垣間見えたりして、面白いですからね。

ちなみに、最初にこのポストを読んだときは
孤高の奇才・平沢進さんの、この歌詞を思い出しました。

かなわぬ道に尚ひとり立ち 撃たれた鳥のような優雅さで雨に耐え
癒えない地上の血に洗われて眠る 星よ壮絶に物語れ この夜を

撃たれた鳥が優雅に見えるというのは何となくわかるけど、
撃たれた狐がhappyというのはどういうことなんだろう。
興味あるなぁ～。

[Cillranchello]

The expression "grin like a shot fox" is actually Scandanavian outdoorsmen saying.

It means even when you're in a dire situation, you still think you're on top. Just like a fox, even after getting shot, grins and thinks "I'll get away from this one."

My Great-Grandfather on my father's side was from Norway, and he used to use the expression all the time.

Now that I think about it, smugly satisfied or happy would be appropriate to. But the origin is definately Scandanavian.

[becki_kanou]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Some very interesting stuff!

[NocturnalOcean]

The expression "grin like a shot fox" is actually Scandanavian outdoorsmen saying.

It means even when you're in a dire situation, you still think you're on top. Just like a fox, even after getting shot, grins and thinks "I'll get away from this one."

My Great-Grandfather on my father's side was from Norway, and he used to use the expression all the time.

Now that I think about it, smugly satisfied or happy would be appropriate to. But the origin is definately Scandanavian.

I am not sure about that, I have never heard anything that is similar to that expression, at least in Norwegian. And after doing some searches, I couldn't find anything that was close to it either.

[becki_kanou]

I went back to the same shopping center yesterday and took a picture, so in case anyone cares, here is the original "grin like a shot fox" t-shirt.

[phreadom]

I particularly like the word "Balmy" just thrown in there.

[becki_kanou]

I particularly like the word "Balmy" just thrown in there.

Yup! I love Engrish T-shirts. There was another one I didn't get a picture of that said "Aureate Pomposity". OMGWTFBBQ!

[tōkai devotee]

Speaking of Engrish t-shirts, I once had one which said, "Be human, it's fun!"

[ニッキー]

I think balmy describes those T-shirts very well.