# Austrailian Slang **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 28, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405 "2001-06-28T02:22:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/1 "2001-06-28T02:22:47Z")
Pom=Englishman: What is the origin of this term? What does cassowary (sp?) mean? ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/2 "2001-06-28T02:56:29Z")
A cassowary is a large, flightless bird. You can see a picture and find some basic information [here](http://www.ozramp.net.au/~senani/cassow.htm). They even have a homepage [here](http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1941/). ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/3 "2001-06-28T03:04:13Z")
Isn’t the correct usage pommie bastard? ---
**Author:** ![Goldeneldon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f19dbf/32.png) [@Goldeneldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goldeneldon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/4 "2001-06-28T03:40:38Z")
The correct spelling is Pome, which stands for Prisoner Of Mother England and was first brought into use when the English were transporting large numbers of prisoners to Australia. Over time the phrase has been reversed to gain it’s modern meaning of an Englishman - the irony should be self evident :rolleyes: This is what I remember reading a long time ago, so I can’t say with absolute certainty that this is true - maybe someone else can confirm it, but I seem to recall that it was a reliable source. ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/5 "2001-06-28T03:51:37Z")
Pom is a shortening of Pommy, which is itself a contraction if Pomegranite. There are two theories about how this word is derived [this site](http://www.yourdictionary.com/cgi-bin/mw.cgi?dlookup=POMMY&dib.x=1) suggests it is a corruption of jimmy grant, rhyiming slang for immigrant. The other explanation is that it has the same derivation as Limey, a slighly older slang term for a Pom. Btitish sailors apparently used to carry fruit juice on board ship, and for this reason were refered to as lime juicers or pomegranite juicers, from which we get Limeys and Pommys. Which is correct I don’t know. Oh, and **China Guy** the correct usage is “Bloody, useless, whingeing pommy bastard” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![messiah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@messiah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/messiah)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/6 "2001-06-28T07:29:19Z")
I think you will find Goldeneldons explaination is the correct one, although I have also been told that it was short for POHM (prisoner of her/his majesty). ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/7 "2001-06-28T08:01:56Z")
[The Word Detective](http://www.word-detective.com/back-m.html#pom) agrees with **Gaspode’s** source, though he mentions the acronym theory as a possibility. He (TWD) also points out in a number of columns that acronyms were not very common until WWII, so most word origin explanations using them (“Port Outward, Starbord Home”, “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”, “To Insure Promptness”, etc.) are probably inaccurate. –sublight. ---
**Author:** ![gadgetgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@gadgetgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gadgetgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/8 "2001-06-28T09:05:05Z")
I thought is was a reference to the English being pompous. hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/9 "2001-06-28T09:11:59Z")
The _Macquarie Dictionary_ agrees with Gaspode. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/10 "2001-06-28T11:11:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Goldeneldon \* > \*\*The correct spelling is Pome, which stands for Prisoner Of Mother England and was first brought into use when the English were transporting large numbers of prisoners to Australia. > \*\* Sorry, but that is debunked by [Snopes](http://www.snopes2.com/language/acronyms/pommy.htm), who prefers the **pomegramanate** theory. ---
**Author:** ![TomH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90db22/32.png) [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/11 "2001-06-28T12:23:40Z")
The _OED_ supports the pomegranate explanation: > [@](#): > > **A.** _n._ A derogatory term for an immigrant from the United Kingdom; an Englishman or Englishwoman, a Briton. > **B.** _attrib. or as_ adj. Of or pertaining to a Pommy; British, English, spec. (often as a term of affectionate abuse) in _Pommy bastard_. Cf. POM2. > The most widely held derivation of this term, for which, however, there is no firm evidence, is that which connects it with pomegranate (see quots. 1923, 1963). A discussion of this and of other theories may be found in W. S. Ramson _Australian English_ (1966) 63. The subsequent quotes suggest that it is of military origin, from around 1915. Does anybody have access to the Ramson book? > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Gaspode_ > Oh, and China Guy the correct usage is “Bloody, useless, whingeing pommy bastard” [hostage to fortune]Let’s wait until after the Ashes, shall we, to see who’s “useless” and “whingeing”?[/hostage to fortune] ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/12 "2001-06-28T14:27:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TomH \* > \*\*The _OED_ _Pommy bastard_. \*\* I was correct, even the OED backs me up… ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/13 "2001-06-28T14:59:11Z")
Yep, China Guy, but you really should close with: Thank your mother for the rabbits, yous can all rack off now. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/14 "2001-06-29T04:26:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by picmr \* > \*\*Yep, China Guy, but you really should close with: > > Thank your mother for the rabbits, yous can all rack off now. \*\* Are you trying to say I’m a few 'roos short in the upper paddock? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/15 "2001-06-29T06:00:45Z")
Strewth, youse flamin’ galahs. The correct term is “_whinging_ pommy bastard”. ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-slang/70405/16 "2001-06-29T07:40:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by China Guy \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by picmr \* > > \*\*Yep, China Guy, but you really should close with: > > > > Thank your mother for the rabbits, yous can all rack off now. \*\* > > Are you trying to say I’m a few 'roos short in the upper paddock? \*\* No… What he was actually saying is: “Yibbidy yibbida, that’s all folks. Please go home now.”