Why do the Australians call the English “limeys”?
“Because the English drank a lot of lime juice.” “Stop joking. I want a serious answer.” “I am giving you a serious answer. You see, during the late 18th Century, the British navy made its sailors drink a lot of limejuice as protection against scurvy, a disease caused due to lack of Vitamin C. During the early days of sea travel, sailors didn’t get a balanced diet. As it wasn’t possible to store things like fruits and vegetables on ships, many sailors had Vitamin C deficiency. To increase the intake of Vitamin C, the sailors drank limejuice. So the Australians referred to them as “lime juicers”. Later, it was reduced to “limely”. “The Germans, for example are called “Kraut”. They eat a lot of “Sauer Kraut” that is sour cabbage, and as for the French, they have a repute for eating frogs. Similarly, the Latin American has a reputation for eating beans so he’s often called a “Bean eater” or “beaner”. An Italian is called a “Macaroni”, the Dutch “butter box” and the … .” “Stop!” “You don
