What is a "scurvy dog"?

Answer by  Philip58 (63)

The term scurvy dog originated with sailors of earlier centuries and is particularly associated with pirate lore. All pirates would refer to each other as dogs and scurvy refers to ailments related to long see voyages. It is a friendly though slightly deprecating term.

Answer by  Dreamlight (856)

In the days of old when ship travel was all there was scurvy was a very common ailment. Scurvy was caused by a lack of vitamin C, due to not have fresh fruits in their diet. Calling someone a "scurvy dog" was either a profanity or a mock profanity.