bramptonbrian

Two blokes on the radio have just been ringing English residents up and calling them "pom" repeatedly until they hang up.
I bet if they rang an australian up and called them "aussie" repeatly they would get the same reaction.

chopper boy

Bring on the Pom bashing....like we say, you get the first two hits for free.......................then i'll show you where you went wrong!!

Cheers all.

Bordy

How did the radio station know the numbers of Poms only???

bramptonbrian

Dunno. Shouldn't be too difficult for resourceful radio presenters to hunt down some English peoples numbers, doubt it was set up though cos it was so crap.
I heared them phone 3 people up and then summarise Poms are uptight about being called Poms, they then went to the next subject on the script.
Can't say as I feel offended, just confirms how shite the radio is here (maybe it's equally shite in Pommyland now?)

Hutch

Nope - that's one area the UK does a **** sight better. No doubt about it.

Amazulu

Because they were ringing London. It was stupid, the Poms sounded half asleep, probably calling them at 6am.

It wasn't funny.

Eric Hitchmo

That's pretty low, even by Aussie standards. If a "pom" on the radio did that to some convicts we'd have the Aussie press crying their eyes out in unison.
This whole cricket story has got bog all to do with whether the term "pom" is acceptable, and everything to do with the fact that the Aussie cricket board are filling their pants in case England field Monty Panesar and/or Sajid Mahmood and the Aussie crowd give them some racist abuse, which knowing your average Aussie is a dead cert.

Mercedes

I don't know why people get uptight about being called a POM, most people I met was said in good humour and if it wasn't was because they hated the English, and generally came from Scottish or Irish background when challenged. But at the end of the day people can only insult you if you let them and laughter is often the best way of dealing with it, as if they wanted to hurt you, they make go away muttering as you will have shown that it hasn't affected you. Besides you can put your own meanings on POM


People of Mischief

or


Poor Old Me's

or
Piss Off Mates

or

Pass Our Maltersers

But there are a couple of theories where POM comes from, although I like the People of Mischief one.....

One theory is that, as the majority of early immigrants to Australia were British, it is rymning slangfor "immigrant" from a contraction of the word "pomegranate", or possibly more directly related to the appearance of the fruit, as it bears a more than passing resemblance to the typical pale complexioned Briton's skin after his or her first few days living under the hot Australian sun.

Another theory is that POM is a shortened acronym of Prisoner of His/Her Majesty (POHM). As many of Australia's first settlers were convicts, sentenced to transportation, this theory holds that upon arrival in the country they would be given a uniform with POHM emblazoned on the back, and that convicts with an extended stay on Australian soil would no longer have to wear the shirt and would often refer to newer entrants into the country as "Pohmmys". Other suggestions hold that POM is a different acronym, such as "Prisoner of Mother England" or "Port of Melbourne"

Clan Fortune

I am sure it would have some effect most people in birmingham speak URDU

Clan Fortune

I dont mind i am used to it. I have had 12 years of abuse most not friendly since I moved to England from Scotland and most of it comes from the snooty brigade at my sons rugby and cricket teams so i like the idea of them getting some back all i can say is come on oz in the cricket and get it right up them.

rugbymatt

There was a thread about this a while back and while the first is a possibility the second is pretty much ruled out. The prisoners were from all over the Union and there are no records, in an age when they were obsessed with records, of anything ever being written on prisoners backs.

Hutch

This is half the problem. Most white English people have lived in a bubble all their lives - happily calling people Jock, Taffy and Paddy and thinking nothing of it. Cracks me right up those getting uptight about it ...

Mercedes

I suppose it means whatever the person saying it thinks it means......I think we should declare POM to mean People of Mischief, and least some may not get so uptight about it....

I guess the smelling salts better be on hand when those who get uptight being called a POM, are called a Bitch or Bastard...which seems to be another favourite.....endearment.

rugbymatt

I not only work with but am privileged to be good friends with Kiwis and Aussies and believe me i have heard every insult under the sun! If i got hurt i suspect that we would never be friends and what they give i give back more, its how people interact! The same people who are offended at a name will happily insult some one else once in a circle of people they feel comfortable with!

thebears

Personally never get tired of being called a Kiwi

After all they have huge peckers

I wish