# Is 'limey' a slur? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 11, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394 "2012-10-11T05:38:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/1 "2012-10-11T05:38:57Z")
If not, is it an insult to call someone who is not English (like an Australian or South African) a ‘limey’? I’m asking here in ATMB to see how board rules apply, not to get a GQ dissertation on the etymology of ‘limey’. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/2 "2012-10-11T05:42:02Z")
I’m going to guess that since no “limey” gives a fuck whether they are referred to as such, then no. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/3 "2012-10-11T05:45:14Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’m going to guess that since no “limey” gives a fuck whether they are referred to as such, then no. Ok, but some Australians seem to care. South Africans only seem confused by it in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/4 "2012-10-11T06:52:03Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Ok, but some Australians seem to care. South Africans only seem confused by it in my experience. Some Australians seem to care about what? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/5 "2012-10-11T06:55:21Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Some Australians seem to care about what? Being called a limey. They thought it was insulting to call them Englishmen. I think Scots react the same way. We’re not talking about blood feud level insult. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/6 "2012-10-11T07:01:06Z")
I’m a New Zealander and I’d be astonished to be called a limey. To me, it exclusively refers to the English. And yes, Scots, Irish etc would be insulted too. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/7 "2012-10-11T07:02:49Z")
Sorry, I’ve never hear any Australian called a limey but I guess it would not be the “limey” word being the insult, as the British part. Though I don’t think most would care too much either way. Now if you called them a Kiwi… An English friend did get slightly miffed at being called a limey in an internet conversation when she thought British could have been used as easily. ---
**Author:** ![Mellivora\_capensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mellivora\_capensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mellivora_capensis)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/8 "2012-10-11T11:48:06Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > … South Africans only seem confused by it in my experience. If it were to be an insult it would only begin to apply to English speaking South Africans, and it would usually be hurled by an Afrikaner. And yes, we would be confused as it’s never been used as an insult. The usual insults are “rooinek” (redneck - lily white Anglo skins burnt by harsh sun), “soutpiel” (salted penis - caused by having one foot in England, one foot in SA and dick hanging in the Atlantic) and “fokken Engelsman” (fukken Englishman, with fukken being the operative insult). Other than that, we don’t care what you call us, as long as you don’t call us in the middle of the fukken night. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/9 "2012-10-11T15:15:24Z")
I can’t recall hearing anyone referred to as a limey among my Brit and Brit-type (Aussies, Kiwis etc) friends. But Pom gets tossed around a lot. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/10 "2012-10-11T15:48:04Z")
As a Brit I kind of like being called it. Amusingly old-worldy. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/11 "2012-10-11T16:51:58Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > As a Brit I kind of like being called it. Amusingly old-worldy. Perhaps with a twist? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/12 "2012-10-11T16:52:26Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > As a Brit I kind of like being called it. Amusingly old-worldy. I’m Scottish, and I don’t mind either. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/13 "2012-10-11T19:20:18Z")
I cannot think of a nationality term for British person that would be offensive. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/14 "2012-10-11T19:25:49Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > I cannot think of a nationality term for British person that would be offensive. Sassenach? At least when used by a Scot. ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Red](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7feea3/32.png) [@Old\_Red](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Red)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/15 "2012-10-11T19:30:25Z")
Only if you are Black. But then, everything is a slur. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/16 "2012-10-11T19:42:37Z")
Actually, as a British person, I do find “limey” from Americans mildly offensive: more so, indeed, than “pom” or even in many cases “pommie bastard” from an Australian, which often seems to be intended jocularly. I often sense that “limey” is intended with a bit a sneer. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/17 "2012-10-11T19:52:30Z")
I don’t know if this is the appropriate thread for such a request, but I’d really like it if from now on everyone called me “honkey”. Because that cracks me up for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/18 "2012-10-11T19:56:05Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Actually, as a British person, I do find “limey” from Americans mildly offensive: more so, indeed, than “pom” or even in many cases “pommie bastard” from an Australian, which often seems to be intended jocularly. I often sense that “limey” is intended with a bit a sneer. I think ‘pom’ from an American couldn’t be an insult because we wouldn’t know what it meant. At least from me. I’d never heard of it until today. Also, any time I’d refer to a Brit or their cousins as a limey the intent would be jocular. I think the same would apply for other Americans most of the time now, but I’m not sure about times past. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/19 "2012-10-11T19:56:30Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Sassenach? At least when used by a Scot. Scots are British, Sassenach refers purely to the English, and it is not offensive. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394/20 "2012-10-11T20:06:17Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Scots are British, Sassenach refers purely to the English, and it is not offensive. Well the Scot calling me that intended it as an insult, although a good natured one. I’m not sure exactly how though. He implied it was meant as an insult to Englishmen, but may have just intended to insult me by calling me English. Sorry if I forget about the distinction between British and English. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-limey-a-slur/637394.md?page=2)