limey

Dictionary: lim·ey (lī'mē) pronunciation

n. Slang, pl., -eys.

A British sailor.
An English person.

[Short for lime juicer (from the use of lime juice on British warships in order to prevent scurvy).]

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WordNet: limey

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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a man of English descent
Synonym: John Bull

Wikipedia: Limey

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For the 1999 film, see The Limey. For the French village, see Limey-Remenauville.

Look up limey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Limey is an old American and Canadian slang nickname for the British, originally referring to British sailors. The term is believed to derive from lime juice, referring to the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy practice of supplying lime juice to British sailors to prevent scurvy. The benefits of citrus juice were well known at the time thanks to the acute observations of surgeon James Lind who noticed that the cabbage-eating Dutch had fewer problems with scurvy^{[citation needed]}. Limes replaced lemons due to limes being more readily available from Britain's own Caribbean colonies. Lemon juice was reintroduced after scurvy again became a problem due to lime juice lacking sufficient vitamin C. The term is thought to have originated in the Caribbean in the 1880s.^{[citation needed]} A false etymology is that it is a derivative of "Corr-blimey" ("God blind me!" or "God blight me!").

"Limey" reference to British citizens may also have origins of reference to the white cliffs of Dover composition of lime.

		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Limey". Read more
		Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more

	Samson (Rock Band, '60s, '70s)
	The Limey [Original Soundtrack] (1999 Album by Original Soundtrack)
	Lem Dobbs (Writer, Director, Actor, Adventure/Thriller)

	What are limeys? Read answer...
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	Why are were the British soldiers called limeys?
	What was life like on board before you were known as limeys?
	Should em be officially called limey for eternity?

limey

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