definitions

[Guest Lowell]

Please tell me how BLIGHTY got its name. I know what it

is, anyway I think I do,

Thank you, Lowell

[Terry Carter]

"Blighty" dates back to the pre WW1 era of British soldiers serving in India. I think the Hindu/Urdu word for home is "Bilayati" or something similar so thats how the UK become known. Thus during WW1 when you got a Blighty wound it meant you were to be sent back to a UK hospital instead of a base hospital in France or Belgium.

There were lots of Indian words used by the British Tommy. No doubt the next few replies to this topic will see them.

For example:-

Here in Brum we call anybody left-handed as cack-handed. That originates from soldiers serving in India also. Apparantly muslims have to wipe their bums with their left hand not their right. Thus to the British soldier the left hand was the cack hand....

Hope thats not put you off your breakfast

Cheers

Terry

[Simon_Fielding]

That explains a favourite phrase of my Granny (born 1905 Smethwick - died 1987)!

Not really WW1 but she did use the phrase 'cag-mag' for a mess or a mixture of something...

Simon

[Dragon]

Blighty's first recorded use as army slang for home or England was early 20th century. Its derivation is a contracted form of Hindustani biliyati, or wildyati, meaning foreign (especially European). This is formed on the Arabic wildyat (inhabited country / district / dominion).

Gwyn

[Tim Birch]

Some other interesting WW1 soldier slang with Hindustani or Arabic origins include:-

"Bint" (woman) from the Red Light district of Cairo frequented by soldiers during WW1. Arabic "sa-eeda bint" meaning "good day girl"

"Aka" (money) word used by beggars in Cairo asking for piastres

"Char" (tea) from either the Chinese "tchai" or Hindi "cha"

"Wallagh" (man for a specific task eg base wallah, ground wallah in RFC) from Hindi "dhobi wallah" (washerman)

"Mucker" ( special pal/ mate) "mucking" was an old Army term for butter derived from the Hindi "makkhn". Butter in your potatoes was a rare friend.

"Shufty" Arabic origin for "look or watch"

Tim

[paul guthrie]

Well here's one that's a mystery to me. In his excellent Devil In The Drum John Lacy ends a chapter which included a man cutting his throat with an account of his funeral. When a question was asked about the name of a song that was played he was told that they did not know but called it " We'll Buy Another Swaddy For A Shilling."

I can guess a swaddy was a soldier but why? Thanks.