POSH
Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Company ship The Hindostan departing Southampton,
24th September, 1842
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
In common with many others, I thought POSH came from the initial letters of ‘Port Out, Starboard Home,’ which described the preferred cabins of passengers travelling from Britain to India and back, possibly on a P&O ship. These were the cooler, north-facing cabins of wealthy, often aristocratic travellers, who could afford to pay for their greatest comfort. Sadly, the story has never been verified.
Another suggested origin is the Romani posh. From posh-kooroona, or half a crown, posh came to mean something expensive or upper-class. It came more generally into the English language in the early 20th century and was used to mean elegant and is still used currently to describe something a little more extravagant than the commonplace – a posh restaurant, a posh frock, a posh do. It was considered slang for ‘swish.’
‘Posh’ is a pejorative description applied to people who may consider themselves or be thought to be superior to the hoi polloi by reason of any of the following: the way they dress, where they live, how they vote, where they went to school and how they sound – that is, their accents. Britain is a class-ridden society. 😉
I always thought P&O stood for the Pacific and Orient Company, but it was actually the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. For more than a century, from 1842 to 1970, P&O was the major sea carrier of mail and passengers between Britain and India. On the outward journey to India, the port, or left, cabins had the sun first thing in the morning and then cooled down during the day. The right, or starboard cabins had afternoon sun, so were still very warm when it was time to retire for the night. During the return voyage from India to Britain, the reverse was true.
P&O dates from 1822 and was formed by a London stockbroker, called Brodhie McGhie Wilcox, and a Scottish sailor, Arthur Anderson. Its life as a cruise company began in 1837, and it is the oldest cruise line in the world. It is now owned by the US Carnival Corp, which also owns Cunard and Princess Cruises, but still caters mainly to British passengers.
Today’s cruise liners are enormous. P&O’s ships Iona and Arvia both carry 5,200 guests and are served by 1,762 crew. Iona was built in 2021 and it and Arvia are both powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) The line’s smallest cruise ship is the Aurora, which has 850 crew attending to 1,874 passengers.
I have also heard of the shipping roots of the word "Posh".
ReplyDeleteBut I've never used it as a pejorative.
I'm pleased to hear it :-)
DeleteI knew about the Port Out, Starboard Home, but never gave any thought to what P&O was, always just assumed it was Pacific&Orient. I remember as children we always made up our own silly names for any company known only by letters.
ReplyDeleteMaking up names is much more fun.
DeleteFor my six years of government primary school (1954-9), I assumed I was fairly posh - not based on parental income but on both their university degrees.
ReplyDeleteDuring my six years of private high schooling (1960-5) I learned to keep my head down and to never to use posh out loud.
Posh or rich - there's always someone posher or richer. You can't win, even if you wanted to.
DeleteI had only come across the 'port out starboard home' origin for the word posh. I attended a direct grant school in Nottingham in the 1970s and this was considered by some as "posh". But a more common insult from pupil at other schools (and believe me it was an insult) was that I must be "brainy"!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
It's strange that some people think it acceptable to use 'brainy' as an insult. I think 'nerdy' or 'geeky' have probably overtaken brainy now. Sad! We need all sorts!
DeleteThis was very interesting, I thoroughly enjoy the origins of words. Thank you for another fun read.
ReplyDeleteI expect we'll still go on believing the more colourful origin of Posh :-)
DeleteThat's very true that Britain is a class-ridden society. In no other country I have realized this. In my vocabulary I had never learned the word "posh" My friend Anne in Eastbourne explained it to me and took as example the ex Spice Girl "Posh" Victoria Beckham. I have to say she is a very clever business woman, but also a good mother who keeps her family together. We once took a P&O ferry from Calais to Dover when the Eurostar didn't exist. And I still see my son with his girlfriend disappearing in the ship to start a new job and life in London, leaving our home forever.
ReplyDeleteP&O is big business. Ferries represent adventure.
DeleteI was called posh by the kids on our street because I went to a grammar school. The kids at the school said I was common. You can't please some people can you?
ReplyDeleteAt my grammar school, one of the other girls said there were two types of people - posh and common. She said she was common, so by default the rest of us were posh. You're right - there's no pleasing some folk!
DeleteI always thought, for some unknown reason, that the “port out, starboard home” had to do with seeing interesting things along the coast of Africa rather than having to gaze at a boring expanse of seawater. But the sun’s position makes more sense. My wife never says ‘posh’. She uses ‘hoody toidy’ as a pejorative. Very interesting post!
ReplyDeleteOops, that should be hoidy toidy.
DeleteFor some reason I hear 'hoidy toidy' in a Brooklyn accent, though I'm not hot on American accents - have enough difficulty with some British ones.
DeleteWe say it 'hoity toity' here, Plague. Jabblog, another interesting post. I have never thought to wonder at the origins of 'posh'. Probably because I am not posh. Now I'm off to google the origin of hoity toity.
ReplyDeleteI'm back. Hoity Toity was first used in the 1660-1670 range. It meant to act foolish, riot, play the fool. That's a timely word for some of the things happening in both our countries.
DeleteOh, so true, Debby. They should all be put in a bag and shaken to mix them up a bit.
DeleteHi Janice ... I'd always thought of Port Out Starboard Home, with the India connection ... my Cornish family used them when they worked in India in the 1920s and 30s, and my mother and her brothers went out on a trip using P&O ... interesting though - thank you ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI suspect that most of us will continue with the explanation of Posh that we're used to, incorrect, or unverified, though it is. Barry went to India on a troop ship! Not luxurious at all.
DeleteInteresting how words come to be. This American never even heard of P&O. I thought I was familiar with most lines owned by Carnival Corp- cruising is rapidly growing in popularity in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteCruising seems to be on many people's wish list and not just one cruise a year, but two or three.
DeleteIt’s fascinating how “posh” has such a storied and debated origin! The history of P&O is equally intriguing, and it’s amazing to see how the company has evolved over the centuries. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead! Check out my new style post: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/08/uoozee-church-outfit-review.html Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI suspect most of us will stick with the version we know and prefer.
DeleteI had no idea about the possible origins of the word posh! Thank you also for sharing the history of P&O, Janice! xxx
ReplyDelete