British sailors called 'limeys'
British sailors were called 'limeys' because the Royal Navy issued limes to prevent scurvy caused by vitamin C deficiency on long voyages.
Where this was said
The Wager, Scurvy, and Etymology of Landlubber, Limey, Under the Weather
At 32:18 · chapter starts 30:38
Shane has been captivated by The Wager, a popular history book about a British naval expedition sent to attack a Spanish port in Chile — a mission that goes catastrophically wrong, with scurvy ravaging the crew one horrifying chapter at a time. The scurvy discussion leads to a compact etymology session [1] — Shane Gillis "Scurvy killed sailors for lack of limes, which is why the British are called 'limeys.' Sick sailors were stored in the lower hold to get th…" 31:23 : British sailors were called 'limeys' because the Navy issued limes to prevent scurvy; sick sailors kept 'under the weather' were placed in the lower hold out of the elements; and 'cut to the chase' comes from early silent film directors who demanded skipping the obligatory boring romance scenes to get to the chase sequences. Shane acknowledges that he read the 'under the weather' origin in a book and can't fully verify it, which is honest enough. Matt's reaction: 'that's good.'
'Under the weather' origin
The phrase 'under the weather' originated from sailors putting sick crew in the lower hold to get them out of the weather.
The Origins of 'Limey', 'Under the Weather', and 'Cut to the Chase'
Scurvy killed sailors for lack of limes, which is why the British are called 'limeys.' Sick sailors were stored in the lower hold to get them 'under the weather.' And silent film directors begged editors to 'cut to the chase' past boring romance scenes.
'Cut to the chase' origin
The phrase 'cut to the chase' came from the silent film era, when a director demanded skipping drawn-out romance scenes to get to the chase sequence.
Salty Dog vs. Landlubber: The Great Debate
Matt calls Shane a landlubber. Shane fights back, citing a Carnival Cruise at 14 and daily swimming laps. Then Shane immediately admits he's a landlubber who has never been at sea for more than a day — crushing his own argument.
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