![]() In truth, they were often little more than petty criminals: those who were sentenced to transportation to the other side of the world for seven years or more often received the punishment for what, to modern eyes, seem trifling misdemeanours.Īnother theory is that it derives from Portsmouth, the port from which the convict ships set out, a city often known as Pompey. Once Captain Cook had ‘discovered’ the Australian continent and the British started to colonise it, to the understandable dismay and inconvenience of the existing aboriginal population, it was used as a dumping ground for what then were considered to be the detritus of British society. To the Australians we English are Poms, a description usually bracketed at both ends by epithets, juicy, racy and pejorative. The rivalry on the field is intense and the spectators, their larynxes suitably lubricated by amber nectar, are quick to join in. The one sporting occasion I always look forward to is the Ashes series, a contest fought out by the cricketing heroes of England and Australia. With England about to take on Australia in The Ashes, Martin Fone ponders the derivation of the Aussies nickname for us: Poms. Country Life's Top 100 architects, builders, designers and gardeners.Because if there’s one thing an obnoxious Aussie loves, it’s being made to feel intellectually inferior by a smarmy Pom. Next time some salty old purse calls you a Pommy, you can challenge him to a duel of wits by asking if he even knows where his slur originated. The term Pom first popped up in around 1913, at which point, according to a Sydney Sun clipping, it eclipsed ‘new chum’ as the popular way to refer to Brits down under. This one might have a glimmer of truth, as it shares a common theme with the etymology of the Limey- another derogatory term for Brits- based on the scurvy prevention method of our ancient mariners. The final theory states that British sailors trying to fight off scurvy would collect as many of the fruits as they could carry during stop-overs in Aus. Another contests pomegranate is Aussie rhyming slang for immigrant, although after a few goes saying one word after the other I can’t quite seem to make that work. The first theory is that visiting Englishman would go a bright red colour reminiscent of a ripe pomegranate after a few days of sun exposure, which seems legit. However, there is a dispute as to why Brits and the fruit became conflated. The most widely accepted theory goes that the word was originally a shortening of pomegranate. It stands for ‘Not On Normal Courtyard Exercise,’ and was used to tell staff not to let the prisoner out of their cell when the courtyard was full of punch-happy paedo-haters.Īnyway, back to Pom. was marked on the cell card of sex-offenders who the guards reckoned might be in danger if allowed to mingle with other inmates. We’re wildly off topic, but let me explain:Īt the turn of the century, the letters N.O.N.C.E. I did go for this one at first, because it’s fun and it bears a resemblance to the true etymology of the word Nonce. However, this has been widely debunked, as none of the sketches or remaining clothes from the period (which still exist in lots of museums) bare any such markings. One attractive explanation claims the letters ‘POME’ or ‘POHM’ were stamped on the clothing of British prisoners in the late 1800’s, as an acronym of ‘Prisoner of Mother England’ or ‘Prisoner Of Her Majesty.’ ![]() Don’t say we ain’t good to you here at the ‘Length. However, we’ve combed through the reams of literature to bring you something close to the best answer available on the world wide web. If you, like me, become flustered with an etymology with loads of theories but no definitive answer, then this one’s likely to grind your gears a little bit. ![]() ]Īny brit who’s travelled in the Antipodes will likely recognise the following refrain, drawled at them by one of the region’s gentile local folk:īut on such an occasion, have you ever stopped to wonder where the word came from?
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