[Ads-l] Earlier Instance of Etymological Myth for "Posh"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Excellent citations for a fun topic. Thanks for sharing, Bonnie.
Garson

On Sun, Mar 27, 2022 at 5:18 PM Bonnie Taylor-Blake
<b.taylorblake at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> In 2011 Fred and Garson discussed the earliest sightings of the origin of
> "posh" as deriving from "Port Out, Starboard Home." See far below.
>
> Here are some appearances of this explanation from August 1932 and February
> 1933, presumably now only available because of further digitization of
> British newspapers since that conversation took place. Nothing really new
> here, though. (Hmm, or has someone already reported these?)
>
> -- Bonnie
>
> -------------------------------
>
> Dr. B.W. Ginsberg, the barrister, who is off next month on a visit to
> India, told me yesterday that "posh" was coined by P. and O. travellers.
>
> Going out the cabins on the port side afford the best shelter from the sun.
> On the homeward-bound ships the starboard cabins are the most sought.
>
> Hence "Port Out, Starboard Home,"
> Hence "posh."
>
> [In "The Diary of a Man about Town," by Quex, News Chronicle (London), 5
> August 1932, p. 6. Via britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.]
>
> -------------------------------
>
> Experienced travellers between England and India long ago discovered that
> on the outward voyage the port-side cabins were best protected from the
> heat of the sun and that the starboard cabins were cooler when homeward
> bound.
>
> Thus, they had a saying: "Port out, starboard home," and it is probable
> that the initials of these words are the origin of the slang term "posh"
> for anything that is specially comfortable or select.
>
> [From "Port and Starboard," The Burton (Staffordshire) Observer and
> Chronicle, 2 February 1933, p. 3. Via britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.]
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 12, 2011 at 7:40 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
> > Subject:      Earlier Instance of Etymological Myth for "Posh"
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > I have discovered a pre-1935 occurrence of the "Port Out Starboard Home"
> > etymology.  The Times of India refers to this etymology as the probable one
> > in a children's column in its April 14, 1933 issue (page 23).
> >
> > Fred Shapiro
> > Editor
> > YALE BOOK OF QUOTATIONS (Yale University Press)

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