A Dictionary of Colour — Beige RSS

The first recorded use of rose taupe as a colour name in English was in 1924. Taupe is a dark brown colour in-between brown and grey. The word derives from the French noun taupe meaning "mole". The name originally referred only to the average colour of the French mole, but beginning in the 1940s, its usage expanded to encompass a wider range of shades. Taupe is a vague colour term which may refer to almost any greyish-brown or brownish-grey, but true taupe is difficult to pinpoint as brown or grey.