The phrase "dingy gray" frequently emerges in literature as a marker for decay, melancholy, and faded beauty. Writers employ it to evoke a sense of drabness or deterioration in both nature and man-made objects. For example, authors describe a river rendered lifeless by autumn rains and rotting leaves as turning a “dingy gray” [1], while a sky and water uniformly enveloped in this hue heighten an atmosphere of desolation [2, 3]. At the same time, the color often signifies aging or a loss of original vibrancy—as seen in the transformation of a spaniel’s black curls to a muted shade [4] or in the unappealing appearance of threadbare uniforms and stained objects [5, 6]. In all these uses, "dingy gray" becomes not merely a physical descriptor but a subtle symbol of neglect and inevitable change.