Blighty
‘Blighty’ is a common term for ‘Old England’, indeed there’s a new satellite TV Channel over here playing ‘Brit’ TV… although since I’m not blessed with a wok on the side of my house I’m not privy to their output.
The term ‘Blighty’ can be traced back to the Hindu word ‘Bilyati’ – meaning ‘far away’ – it’s actually derived from the Arabic ‘wilyati’ meanining a ‘foreign country’.
For example ‘bilyati panee’ – meaning ‘foreign water’ was served with Gin in the Gin and Tonics that served to prevent Malaria – and so for the British soldiers serving in India in Victorian times ‘Blighty’ was associated with home, and the name stuck.