A foxy grape in the old world, is one which has a brown instead of a black color as it should have - in short, a black grape hardly colored. It is more than probable, that the term "fox grape" was given to the American grape of that name, from its "foxy" color. Now we speak of the "foxy odor" of a fox grape, as if the fox had anything of a smell like that. The fox has no such smell. And then we have a "foxy taste." It is interesting to note how words are led to have meanings quite different from original intent.