blighty

plural blighties

1. alternativeAlternative form of Blighty.

   'I don't want any of these blighties', Len Wilton concluded.

   2018, Anna Rogers, With Them Through Hell, →ISBN, page 345

   2 more examples

   With such delights awaiting them only a few miles to the rear, it's no wonder that men prayed for a “blighty” – a small wound that would not incapacitate them for life, but would get them out of the line for a month or even a week. . . . a stray bullet pierced Moore's left foot. Moore cried out, not with pain, but with delight. ¶ “Oh,” he shouted, “it's a beauty, Vic! What a present from the Red Devil! It's a Blighty, I'll bet a dollar.”

   1986, Pierre Burton, Vimy, McClelland and Stewart, →ISBN, page 91

   And after a short time with the West Yorkshires I came to see that discipline and spirit, even at my platoon level, led to fewer cases of minor ailments like colds and flu, to a substantial reduction in trench foot and to the total absence of suicides or deliberately provoked blighties.

   2013, Paul Grieve, Upon a Wheel of Fire, →ISBN

1. Great Britain, Britain, or England, especially as viewed from abroad.

   Living in the US, I have always seized every opportunity to insist things are better in Blighty. But now both countries look ludicrous[.]

   2022 January 18, Arwa Mahdawi, “Which is more dysfunctional – the US or the UK? I’ve created a Global Embarrassment Index to figure it out”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   1 more example

   Before I knew it, 8 August had come around and our holiday was over. As my lovely little family headed for the airport to jump ship back to Blighty, I was on the road again with fresh legs.

   2016, Chris Graham, Five Minutes of Amazing: My Journey Through Dementia, London: Sphere, →ISBN, page 129

2. A locality in the Edward River council area, southern New South Wales, Australia.

plural Blighties

1. slanggovernmentSynonym of Blighty one.

   "Talk about Blighties——” He lifted his bandaged arm.

   2016, Ronald Gurner, Pass Guard at Ypres: A Novel, →ISBN

   2 more examples

   The ones who did get a good Blighty were returned to England.

   2007, Frances Itani, Deafening, →ISBN

   Well maybe I'll have luck this time in the shape of a decent little “Blighty” as its^([sic]) the only way out of it for a while.

   2010, Y.A. Bennett, Kiss the kids for dad, Don’t forget to write, →ISBN

   Synonyms: Blighty one