▁subst it uted . ▁It ▁was ▁from ▁this ▁time ▁that ▁British ▁obtained ▁the ▁nick name ▁l ime ys . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁" g rog " ▁probably ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁nick name ▁of ▁Admir al ▁Vern on , ▁who ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁" Old ▁Gro g " ▁because ▁he ▁wore ▁a ▁gro gram ▁clo ak . ▁The ▁term ▁was ▁in ▁use ▁by ▁ 1 7 4 9 , ▁when ▁Vern on ▁was ▁still ▁alive . ▁A ▁bi ograph er ▁of ▁Daniel ▁De fo e ▁has ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁deriv ation ▁from ▁" Old ▁Gro g " ▁is ▁wrong ▁because ▁De fo e ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 8 , ▁but ▁this ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁err one ous ▁c itation ▁of ▁De fo e ' s ▁work , ▁which ▁actually ▁used ▁the ▁word ▁" ging er ". ▁ ▁The ▁practice ▁of ▁serving ▁gro g ▁twice ▁a ▁day ▁carried ▁over ▁into ▁the ▁Cont inental ▁Navy ▁and ▁the ▁U . ▁S . ▁Navy . ▁Robert ▁Smith , ▁then ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Navy , ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁subst itut ing ▁native ▁r ye ▁whis key ▁for ▁the ▁imported ▁rum ▁con co ction . ▁F inding ▁the ▁American ▁sail ors ▁preferred ▁it , ▁he ▁made ▁the ▁change ▁permanent . ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁his ▁sail ors ▁followed ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁their ▁British ▁ante ced ents ▁and ▁took ▁to ▁calling ▁it ▁" Bob ▁Smith " ▁instead ▁of ▁gro g ▁. ▁Until ▁the ▁gro g ▁r ation ▁was ▁dis cont in ued ▁in ▁ 1 9 7