USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Other pejorative nicknames for British soldiers included “bloody backs” (in a reference to both the colour of their coats and the use of flogging as a means of punishment for military offences) and “lobsters", most notably in Boston around the time of the Boston Massacre.

Detailed explanation-2: -Though the term “redcoat” has a negative connotation in the United States since it was worn by British soldiers fighting against US Independence in the American Revolution, it has a far more illustrious meaning in the former British Empire.

Detailed explanation-3: -Due to their long redcoats, British soldiers were nicknamed “lobsters” and “bloody backs” by the colonists.

Detailed explanation-4: -Present day English soldiers are often referred to as ‘Toms’ or just ‘Tom’ (the Scots equivalent being ‘Jock’). Outside the services soldiers are generally known as ‘Squaddies’ by the British popular press.

Detailed explanation-5: -British soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War are often called “redcoats” because of their uniform color. When the conflict began, American Revolutionaries came up with negative names for these soldiers, based on that coloring, including “lobsters” and “bloody backs.”