那隻動物
字面的意思，也是其他用法的來源。
noun · B2
A female fox.
母狐狸
核心畫面
Start with the animal: a female fox at the edge of a field, quick, sharp-faced, watchful, hard to corner. Every other use of the word is that animal pointed at a woman, and each use takes a different part of her. Point at the bite and you get the insult. Point at the sleek look and you get the informal compliment-that-is-not-quite-one. The animal itself is neutral; the moment the word moves to a person, it carries a judgement.
先從動物開始：田邊一隻母狐狸，動作快、臉尖、警覺、不好逮。這個字其他的用法，都是把這隻狐狸指向一個女人。差別只在指的…更多收起
先從動物開始：田邊一隻母狐狸，動作快、臉尖、警覺、不好逮。這個字其他的用法，都是把這隻狐狸指向一個女人。差別只在指的是牠哪一面。指向牙齒，就變成罵人的話。指向那身俐落好看的毛色，就變成那個聽起來像稱讚、其實不太算的口語說法。用在動物身上時這個字很中性。一旦用到人身上，就一定帶著評價。From the word’s history
An alteration of earlier fixen, from Middle English fixen or fixene and Old English fyxen, a female fox. The v at the start comes from southern dialect forms of Middle English, where f was voiced.
它由更早的 fixen 變來，可以往上追到中古英文 fixen／fixene 和古英文 fyxen，意思就是母狐狸。開頭的 v 來自中古英文南部方言，那裡習慣把 f 讀成有聲的 v。
Wiktionary entry for vixen, supplied in this packet (kaikki extract, source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:397526561:47774).
Two branches
把那隻狐狸指向一個女人
同一隻動物，兩種取角：取牠的牙，或取牠的樣子。兩個用法都只針對女人，所以都帶著評價。
noun · C1
An insulting word for a woman who is said to be sharp-tempered and ready to quarrel or fight.
潑婦（帶冒犯的說法）