Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[geoffr70]

Hello, some might know already but I think this to be quite interesting!

In 'the olden days', when it was fashionable for the upper class to have pale skin (Victorian times maybe), when said people travelled on ships, they wanted to be on the side away from the sun so they wouldn't become tanned and lose their pale appearance.

P.O.S.H. was written on their luggage, which stood for port outwards, starboard home, hence posh!


S.H.I.T. goes something like this. On ships or other modes of transport, less valuable or important items that were expendable would be stacked on top of each other to save space. They would have to Stack High In Transit, hence shit for something not very good!

[Turk]

I've always thought that to be the origin of P.O.S.H but the S.H.I.T explanation sounded, well... .    

Looks like both are doubtfull.  :-/
 
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/port%20out%20starboard%20home.html

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/s/shit.htm

[geoffr70]

You took the time to research that and put the links in?!?!?!?I haven't looked at the links but a bit of artistic license needed here I think!

[geoffr70]

Anyway, what makes you think that is more accurate than the version I put forward? Just because it's written down somewhere? You can be found guilty in a court of law, but that doesn't mean you did it, which has been shown on many occassions!

[Turk]

If typing the words 'origin of ....' and having a read is research, then yes. 

I'd heard the origin of S.H.I.T as an acronym before, and it just didn't sound right to me, so seeing as I was sat with Tinternet to hand and the subject cropped up, I had a look.

Oxford University press says:

Old English scitte ‘diarrhoea’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schijten, German scheissen (verb). The term was originally neutral and used without vulgar connotation.

Early 20th century: perhaps from slang posh, denoting a dandy. There is no evidence to support the folk etymology that posh is formed from the initials of port out starboard home (referring to the more comfortable accommodation, out of the heat of the sun, on ships between England and India).

I was rather disappointed to read that Posh is also 'most likely' not an acronym. That one made sense to me.

Having said that, you're not wrong with the 'just because it is written down somewhere'. 

[Mysteryman]

You're both talking B.O.L.L.O.C.K.S.

[Turk]

I'm ALWAYS talking B.O.L.L.O.C.K.S.

Can't see anyone arguing over that statement.