History behind the term 'Limey'
Fun fact! English sailors became known as “Limeys” because of the lime juice rations provided to them by the Royal Navy. Click to read more!
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English sailors became known as “Limeys” because of the lime juice rations provided to them by the Royal Navy. The lime juice was used to prevent scurvy, which was discovered to be an effective treatment for the disease by Dr. James Lind after conducting one of the earliest recorded examples of a clinical trial.
Source: Corte, C. Why are English sailors called Limeys? Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist. October 8, 2009 https://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/sailors-called-limeys (accessed 2024-05-16).
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