From: "roger" <diogenes.jones-AT-attbi.com>
Subject: Re: Slang attack
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 18:06:38 -0800



From: "Dave Coull"


> > Could anyone tell me the meaning of "limey" ?
>
>
> The other one is about the English fortyniners
> of the California Gold Rush. They had sailed
> from Limehouse docks in the east end of London.
> They arrived in California with their possessions
> in sacks which had  LIMEHOUSE  stamped
> on them. So they got called " Limeys ".
>

good theory; hadn't heard it before.  and the time frame is right, i
think it pops into usage around the middle of the century.  but i
suspect that the traditional, lime-drinking theory is right.  there's
another term --- lime-juicer --- from about the same period that
refers to the english.  i reckon somebody could put us out of our
misery and go see what the OED says --- nothing like looking to the
authority of dead white males to sort out our confusion.

roger