On the Origin of Limey

So why, over 20 years since I left England, am I known as Limey (or Lymie to the status conscious)?

It all begins, as much of my life does since 1985, after following the refridgerator delivery guy into the rear first floor suite my second night at NU (more on that overall event in another post). This was John Cotrona's room. We began hanging out and were joined over the next few months by many other Johns. Eventually we all ended up with nicknames. John Cotrona was Mod John since he looked straight out of Quadraphenia. Another was Skate Rat (John McGrail), a skate punk who, if I remember correctly, had a broken leg when we met him. Well, I still had a pretty nasty Yorkshire accent so I was tagged with English John (I believe it may have been Michele Auerbach). After a few (too many) beers however it's just way to many syllables. Mod John thought Limey rolled off a beer soaked tongue much better. And so it stuck.

Well that explains the college years, but what about those colleagues and even clients who:

1. Never heard an English accent pass my lips.
2. Never new any of my college friends.

Well that's where the overlap comes in. My wife Kerry knew me only as Limey from before she ever even met me (another post for another day). To the extent that when her mother suggested that she an "John" arrive at our wedding on a boat (It was at a boathouse on the Charles), Kerry was wondering why she would arrive with her brother, Jon. Even Kerry hadn't heard much of an accent out of me except when I was drunk and talking to cute girls (I didn't even know I did it). She new exactly when it was time to leave a party. But I digress. So when she went to work at this 100 person accounting firm she introduced me to everyone as Limey. By the time I went to work there 2 years later it was too late. Not only did everyone at the office call me Limey but I was introduced to clients as Limey. When I returned last year after four years at a dotcom spinoff my office name tag and name tags at events all still say Limey.

And so it sticks.