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Nicknames for a British sailor, applied by others, include Matelot (pronounced "matlow"), and derived from mid 19th century nautical slang: from French, variant of matenot which was also taken from the Middle Dutch mattenoot ‘bed companion’, because sailors had to share hammocks in twos, and Limey, from the lime juice given to British ...
In time, the term lost its naval connotation and was used to refer to British people in general and, in the 1880s, British immigrants in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. [9] Although the term may have been used earlier in the US Navy as slang for a British sailor or a British warship, such a usage was not documented until 1918. [9]
Divided by a Common Language: A Guide to British and American English. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-618-00275-7. Hargraves, Orin (2003). Mighty Fine Words and Smashing Expressions: Making Sense of Transatlantic English. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-515704-8.
English-speaking nations of the former British Empire may also use this slang, but also incorporate their own slang words to reflect their different cultures. Not only is the slang used by British expats, but some of these terms are incorporated into other countries' everyday slang, such as in Australia, Canada and Ireland.
[213] [214] British sailors are referred to as "Jack" (or "Jenny"), or more widely as "Matelots". Royal Marines are fondly known as "Bootnecks" or often just as "Royals". A compendium of Naval slang was brought together by Commander A.T.L. Covey-Crump and his name has in itself become the subject of Naval slang; Covey-Crump. [213]
British slang for penis. In 2011, Harry returned from an expedition to the North Pole to attend his brother’s wedding and was alarmed to discover that his todger was frostbitten — an ...
The concise new Partridge dictionary of slang and unconventional English. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-21259-5. Robinson, Mairi (1985). Concise Scots Dictionary. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Ltd. ISBN 1-902930-00-2; Ronowicz, Eddie; Yallop, Colin (2006). English: One Language, Different Cultures. Continuum International Publishing Group.
Jack Tar (also Jacktar, Jack-tar or Tar) is a common English term that was originally used to refer to seamen of the Merchant Navy or the Royal Navy, particularly during the British Empire. By World War I the term was used as a nickname for those in the US Navy . [ 1 ]