OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
Dec 12th 2009, 2:03 pm
#31
Pedantic Moron
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Hiding from the weather
Posts: 566
Re: Successful K1 Interview and a Warning!
It's original meaning was one of someone who was poor, lower class and not able to pay for normal things like common folk.
It's use today is as a generic term for someone from Britain, but the original meaning of a poor person still remains.
Dec 12th 2009, 2:04 pm
#32
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Successful K1 Interview and a Warning!
Lemons were the fruit of choice to prevent scurvy on long sea voyages. However, the less fortunate or very poor couldn't afford lemons [they were a little pricey] and as such had to resort to using limes instead.
It's original meaning was one of someone who was poor, lower class and not able to pay for normal things like common folk.
It's use today is as a generic term for someone from Britain, but the original meaning of a poor person still remains.
It's original meaning was one of someone who was poor, lower class and not able to pay for normal things like common folk.
It's use today is as a generic term for someone from Britain, but the original meaning of a poor person still remains.
Dec 12th 2009, 2:15 pm
#33
Pedantic Moron
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Hiding from the weather
Posts: 566
Dec 12th 2009, 2:19 pm
#34
A lion in your lap
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Sparta NJ
Posts: 7,605
Re: Successful K1 Interview and a Warning!
Lemons were the fruit of choice to prevent scurvy on long sea voyages. However, the less fortunate or very poor couldn't afford lemons [they were a little pricey] and as such had to resort to using limes instead.
It's original meaning was one of someone who was poor, lower class and not able to pay for normal things like common folk.
It's use today is as a generic term for someone from Britain, but the original meaning of a poor person still remains.
It's original meaning was one of someone who was poor, lower class and not able to pay for normal things like common folk.
It's use today is as a generic term for someone from Britain, but the original meaning of a poor person still remains.
Dec 12th 2009, 5:14 pm
#35
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,605
Re: Successful K1 Interview and a Warning!
while there seems to be a grain of truth in the bit about limes being used instead of lemons (because limes were more readily available from British colonies at the time) and some people considered ship owners/captains who gave their crews the cheaper and marginally less effective limes to be cheapskates, the idea that the term was originally meant to be a blanket term for poor, low class people (rather than of specically nautical origin) looks to me more like a myth that people have come up with after the fact.
AIUI, the term comes from Mr Rose, of Rose's Lime Cordial fame, who worked out a way of preserving limes with sugar so that the crew would have vit C available throughout a long voyage, rather than just at the beginning.
Dec 12th 2009, 6:52 pm
#36
He/him
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 18,958
Re: OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
to add to the cultural diff regarding 'oriental' itdoes not equate with asian as some have stated, or rather only equates when the use of asian is limited to a segment of asia.
In the US 'Asia' does seem to equate with what the UK refer to as the Orient.
but in the UK 'Asian' often refers to the sub-continent.
It has caused some confusion when I have used Asia/Asian refering to India-Pakistan et al, but without naming the countries, and my listner has been wondering why paratha and dal has become so popular in China and Japan all of a sudden (or whatever it was I was talking about); and if I say 'an Indian style breakfast of paratha and dal', then they wonder why its so popular with Native Americans.
In the UK Oriental is used becasue Asian has another meaning.
In the US 'Asia' does seem to equate with what the UK refer to as the Orient.
but in the UK 'Asian' often refers to the sub-continent.
It has caused some confusion when I have used Asia/Asian refering to India-Pakistan et al, but without naming the countries, and my listner has been wondering why paratha and dal has become so popular in China and Japan all of a sudden (or whatever it was I was talking about); and if I say 'an Indian style breakfast of paratha and dal', then they wonder why its so popular with Native Americans.
In the UK Oriental is used becasue Asian has another meaning.
Dec 13th 2009, 9:30 am
#37
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,176
Re: Successful K1 Interview and a Warning!
Far Eastern/Oriental = Japan/China/Korea etc
Indian = Native American/Inuit etc
It's all context at the end of the day though.
Dec 13th 2009, 9:44 am
#38
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,605
Re: Successful K1 Interview and a Warning!
Dec 13th 2009, 11:03 am
#40
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Andover, MA
Posts: 1,703
Re: Successful K1 Interview and a Warning!
Lemons were the fruit of choice to prevent scurvy on long sea voyages. However, the less fortunate or very poor couldn't afford lemons [they were a little pricey] and as such had to resort to using limes instead.
It's original meaning was one of someone who was poor, lower class and not able to pay for normal things like common folk.
It's use today is as a generic term for someone from Britain, but the original meaning of a poor person still remains.
It's original meaning was one of someone who was poor, lower class and not able to pay for normal things like common folk.
It's use today is as a generic term for someone from Britain, but the original meaning of a poor person still remains.
According to some, the derivation of the term limey may in fact have a link to the white cliffs of Dover, which are made up of lime stone.
You just think you're hard 'cos you're a USC now. 
Dec 13th 2009, 11:46 am
#43
Sleepless In Chicago
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Chicago.
Posts: 3,601
Re: OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
Dec 13th 2009, 3:43 pm
#45
Shocked of Redmond
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Redmond, WA
Posts: 3,446
Re: Successful K1 Interview and a Warning!
