A new MRIW idea

[undyingking]

I was thinking about starting off a new series of posts relating to Mo's Rather Interesting World of Exploded Folk Etymologies. The idea is that it will reveal the true origins of popular words and phrases which we generally think we know where they come from, but are wrong.

Unlike MRIWFSORD, this will be more of an interactive thing. So for this first one, I want you to say in a comment what you think is the origin of the word "posh". No looking it up, just off the top of your head. Or if you know of a theory but also know or believe it to be wrong, then say that and you can look clever. Or indeed if you'd like to invent a theory now for entertainment purposes, go for it.

Comments

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

Posh is an acronym for P*ss Off, Sh*t Head! - the theory being that the kind of people who say that kind of thing aren't.

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

More boringly of course, there's that 'Port Out Starboard Home' thing, but I seem to recall that's undetermined.

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

Paris 'Original Sin' Hilton? She's posh, isn't she?

[venta.livejournal.com]

I read somewhere that posh is a sufficiently old word that it almost certainly isn't acronym-based; the acronym craze is a reasonably recent disease.