I heard that POM is an acronym for "Prisoner of Mother England" and therefore should actually be spelt "POME"

Also being Scotish am I classed as a POM/POME be it whingeing or nay???
If not whats does that make other UK residents like the Scots/Irish/Welsh?

Just a thought....

i think it means Prisoner Of her Majesty!!! POM
due to sending convicts to penal colonies in olden days
so as a scot you`d still be a pom in essence
soz!

Nope, you're not a Pom. It's a term reserved exclusively for English people.
As for that Scottish Aussies get called.... Have a look at my username.

found this on the WEB....

Pommy" (or "pom" or "pommie") is a primarily Australian (and largely derisive) slang term used to indicate a recent immigrant from Great Britain, :scared: or a Brit in general. (includes Scotland!!! )The origins of "pommy" having been lost in the mists of time, someone needed to cook up an etymology for it, preferably one equal to the pejorative sense of the word. Accordingly, we now have the story that criminals transported to Australia were designated "Prisoners of His Majesty" or "Prisoners of Mother England" (some versions claim the convicts bore one of these legends printed on the backs of their shirts), and thus the acronym "POHM" or "POME" eventually evolved into the slang term "pom" or "pommy."

This amusing anecdote is doubtful as anything more than a fanciful invention, as acronymic origins antedating the mid-twentieth century are automatically suspect, and the use of "pommy" has been recorded at least as far back as 1915. Moreover, nobody has yet turned up corroborating evidence that "Prisoner of His Majesty" or "Prisoners of Mother England" were actually common designations for criminals transported to Australia. The best guess at this time is that "pommy" was based on the word "pomegranate" -- either because the redness of the fruit supposedly matched the typically florid British complexion, or because (like "Johnny Grant") it was used as rhyming slang for "immigrant."

A POM is a rather backward MOP

Hooray, Im not going to be a Pommie....Ill handily ignore the othe reply, even though it was pretty interesting!

I'm definitely not going to be called a Pom. Given that it's considered racist and terribly non-pc to use the terms: wog, wop, slopehead, lebo, slanteyes, chink, nip, Abo, etc., it absolutely riles me to hear English/British whatever referred to as Poms, particularly when it's done by the ABC and the pollies. Whoarr, feel much better now I've got that off my chest. Ooh I love this forum I'm so glad I found you all. (after 18 years here...)

I have been here 15 months and I find POM mildly offensive. Probably mainly because it is not a word I am used to from home in Britain.

I always thought that it means Prisoner Of her Majesty and not anything to do with Mother England nor indeed pomegranates!

I can't explain it but I just don't like it - POM is very broad generalisation and I would rather be known for something about me as an individual.

If have European colleagues at work here called "Wogs" too which again I think is extremely offensive.

rab

So as most of us believe that POHM aka POM stands for Prisoner of Her Majesty then wouldn't that make the first Aussies POMs rather than new immigrants, if they were the convicts sent out there ?

Prepare for incoming

What do the aussies call the welsh then?

Wellies....?????

That's a good question. I don't know many Welsh people here.

'Pom' is a name Aussies call the English, the closest example to it would be the term ' Yanks ' to describe the Americans.

I was just reading through this thread and what I find amusing is that the Americans call the English "Limeys" but no one seems to have a problem with that. Is it really any different to being called a "Pom"?

As long as the term isn't used derisively then i don't have a problem with it.

However, i'm sure there will be times when you will be called a "POM" by some racist, moronic inbreed. Hopefully those events will be few and far between.

There is no reason why Scottish people should not be poms as they presumably would also have been transported and therefore be a pom,or have their skin go red (depending on where the origin came from).

It is quite possible that in everyday usage Aussies have decided that Pom be a thing for an English person exclusively, wrongly or rightly but it would not be accurate.

I don't find Pom in the least offensive. It is only offensive when a Pom is acting in a way which is likely to carry the tab "whinging" and thus tars us all with the same brush lol. Most whinging poms earn their title justifably.

Guess what. Last night I was told by a waitress that I was the most UNwhinging ''Pom'' she had ever met...(we had been having a chat with some Aussie mates with her) hows that for a stamp of approval.. I was dumbstruck

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