The most obvious derivation is from the tool for drilling small holes, a word also used figuratively to describe something as sharp or piercing.

[5] Another theory is that the drink was named after the Royal Navy surgeon Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette (27 November 1857[6] – 4 October 1943[7]), who allegedly introduced this drink as a means of inducing his messmates to take lime juice as an anti-scurvy medication.

[8] However, this association is not mentioned in his obituary notice in the BMJ,[9] The Times (6 October 1943), or his entry in Who Was Who 1941–1950.

[citation needed] Notably, the screwdriver, another cocktail made from a clear spirit and a citrus juice, is also named after a common handtool.

A popular variation, the French gimlet, includes elderflower liqueur.