Limey

The nickname Limey referred to a British sailor, in the broader sense, it is often applied to all British.

The concept is rooted in an ancient rule that ships flying the British flag a certain stock of citrus juice ( lime juice english ) shall carry, in order to prevent the onset of scurvy in the occupation. The term was coined by American sailors, their analogous term for British ships "lime juicers " was. After the nickname initially prevailed also in other navies and merchant fleets of sailors, its use expanded over time to Britons in general.