Name Color Survey Reveals Gender Preferences

The next time you can't agree on a specific paint color with your significant other, consider this before starting a public argument in the home improvement store: maybe if you simply use a different word to describe the color you like best, your partner might find it more appealing.

This awesome, interactive infographic by designer Stephen Von Worley displays the 2,000 most common responses from a name color survey conducted by blogger xkcd. The survey asked participants to look at a given color and type the word or phrase they would use to describe it. By the time the results were in, participants had identified over 5 million colors, and there was an overwhelming difference between genders. Many times, women and men who looked at the same colors called them something different, with women tending to use longer, more descriptive names and men using ones that were shorter and to-the-point.

For example, women offered pretty and intricate names such as "dusty teal" and "blush pink," whereas men provided very blunt names like "off pink" and "vomit," just to name a few. Another interesting comparison is that two colors that were almost exactly the same hue were named "light red" by men and "coral" by women.

These tendencies give us valuable insights into how men and women think of colors differently, and, maybe a clue as to how we can better agree on design decisions. So, when he says that "pale sage" is too girly for the dining room, or she refuses to paint anything in her home "British racing green," try not to get mad. Consider tweaking your language to come to an agreement, instead of letting it hinder your progress on your next home improvement project.