What is a lobster-back?

Answer 1

"Lobsterback" is a slang term used by Americans for British soldiers during the American Revolutionary War. I have heard two explanations for this. One is that the red coats worn on by the British resembled the red shells of cooked lobsters. Another is that British soldiers were whipped so frequently by their officers that their backs became scarred. Multiple scars might make their bare backs resemble the segmented shells of lobsters, but I can't imagine that the Patriot army would have seen their enemy shirtless often enough to make this explanation plausible. I believe the red coat theory to be correct. Perhaps British soldiers once called each other lobsterbacks because of scarring, but I suspect not.

Answer 2

A term that patriots used before and during the revolutionary war referring to the British. The British wore red coats..hence lobsterbacks. It was considered very offensive