What Do Popsicles and Charles Lindbergh Have in Common?
I grew up in an apartment building built practically on the sand. The ocean was my backyard. It was a special place, for sure, but it lacked one important component: limbers (leem-bers). Limbers were only found in neighborhoods of houses, usually made by one or two enterprising old ladies and sold for a quarter. Imagine the perfect limeade, a balanced blend of tart and sweet. Then imagine it frozen on a blazingly hot tropical day and you’re licking its deliciousness as it slowly melts. That’s limber.
You can buy limber in stores now, in all sorts of flavors—mango, pineapple, coconut, passion fruit, even peanut butter—but back in the 60s and 70s the primary flavor was lime. And the old ladies didn’t always make it, either. You had to ask, “¿Hay limber hoy?” and hope to God that today was a limber day and that it was ready, meaning frozen like a rock. But what a funny name, limber. It doesn’t mean anything in Spanish, yet I never questioned it.
While researching important Puerto Rican events of the 20s and 30s, I was reminded that Charles A. Lindbergh had flown the Spirit of St. Louis to the island in February of 1928. Upon landing, he was cheered by enthusiastic crowds and met by a slew of dignitaries, mostly American. As the story goes, it was a hot day and Lindbergh was offered frozen fruit juice to quench his thirst. He raved about the treat so heartily that the American dignitaries decided to name it after him, hence limber when pronounced phonetically in Spanish.
It’s a nice story, but there’s also another version. During his stay, Lindbergh was feted with many activities held in his honor. But to the warm and effusive Puerto Ricans, the man came across as detached and impersonal. When the aviator declined to participate in the San Juan Carnival, giving away roses as was tradition, the populace decided Lindbergh was “cold as ice,” which led to the saying “You’re colder than a limber.”
It’s hard to know which version is true. Maybe both. Either way, as a child I would have never guessed the frozen treat I loved so much was named after the famous pilot.
