Russell,

On Mon, 02 May 2005 09:19:07 +1200, Russell McMahon wrote:

>...< 
> > Do you mean POHM?  If not, what does POM stand for?
> 
> "Prisoner Of Mother-England" or abbreviation of POMegranate or ???.

Errr - not at all sure why pomegranates would have been relevant :-)

> True etymology unknown.  First of above allegedly from days of
> deportation to colonies.
> Standard slang for a person born in "The Old Country" aka England
> (probably also Scotland, Ireland & Wales as well).
> 
> I've never  met "POHM" but I suspect that may translate "Prisoner Of 
> Her Majesty"?, which would be similar but subtly different.

Yes, that's what I'd always understood was the origin of the expression!  The newly-arrived inhabitants of the 
big island across the Tasman sea from you would be identified as such on their papers, and possibly on their 
clothes too?  (A bit like the origin of "Posh").

Cheers,


Howard Winter
St.Albans, England


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