Words

LeEnfield

Active member
Many of you have know doubt heard the word POSH used but do you know how this word came about. Well lets bore you once again, the POSH came about from English travel agent's during days of Empire. When travelling to and from India or beyond the well off would demand a cabin on the outward journey on the Port Side of the ship and Starboard on the return. This was because it was cooler as the ships did not have air conditioning and once it had reached Suez . The Sun rising in the east would give them a pleasant aspect in the morning and but by noon would no longer being shining on the port side and by early afternoon it would be blazing down on the other side of the ship leaving the people on the port side a lot cooler, and the same thing worked on the return leg of journey. Hence they became known as the POSH people. Port outward, Starboard home
 
Last edited:
Intersting tidbit of knowledge.


I would still like to find other plausible origins for the words:

Store High In Transit (used to be stamped on boxes of manure when shipped across the seas and oceans)

and

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (branded on the foreheads of adulterers, pedophiles and those having sex with animals)

These two words are used alot in their various forms within the American english language. As with most words they have lost their true meaning over time. These are two of the acronym definitions I have heard given the most. Of course I have heard/read any number of acronyms refuted by looking at possible words these could be derived from. Anyone care to give further plausible origins?
 
Last edited:
I advise anyone who thinks posh might stand for 'Port Outward Starboard Home' to go to http://www.wordorigins.org/ and click on 'Posh' in the alphabetical index. That's a very full discussion of the subject and I've got nothing to add to it, except to say that I doubt if it would make much difference to the temperature of your cabin whether it was on the port side or the starboard side.
 
Last edited:
Fun!

Damn I like this! I really enjoyed the page where all the words were explained! Hours of fun reading. I was told that an old English king was conserned by the low birth rates so he ordered people to go home and make babies. Hence "Fornicate Under the Command of the King" was shortened to F***!

-BC
 
Intersting tidbit of knowledge.


I would still like to find other plausible origins for the words:

Store High In Transit (used to be stamped on boxes of manure when shipped across the seas and oceans)

and

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (branded on the foreheads of adulterers, pedophiles and those having sex with animals)

These two words are used alot in their various forms within the American english language. As with most words they have lost their true meaning over time. These are two of the acronym definitions I have heard given the most. Of course I have heard/read any number of acronyms refuted by looking at possible words these could be derived from. Anyone care to give further plausible origins?

Wikipedia has a page for everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/****

replace the stars, starts with F ends in K...
 
Last edited:
Back
Top