# Name for all peoples from the UK **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 31, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937 "2002-12-31T20:48:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/21 "2003-01-01T20:42:04Z")
POHM? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/22 "2003-01-01T20:53:49Z")
Presumably some variation on “pom”. Don’t know if there’s consensus yet on the derivation, but I vaguely recall “POHM” being suggested as an abbrevation. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/23 "2003-01-01T21:08:12Z")
Well, in that case it’s disqualified for not referring to the Irish. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/24 "2003-01-01T22:10:49Z")
Maybe it’s supposed to mean **P** eople **O** f **H** er **M** ajesty. But I’ve never seen that acronym before, and I can’t see how it would be popular, given that most British people don’t give a toss about the monarchy. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/25 "2003-01-01T22:25:05Z")
Pohm, is what Austrailians (derogatorily) refer to British people as, obviously dating back to when most of the new immigrants to Oz were convicts. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/26 "2003-01-02T09:00:12Z")
The word is “pom”, and it’s a jocular or mildly derogatory Australian term for someone from Britain (and is sometimes applied to people from Ireland). It usually turns up in the phrase “whinging pom” to describe someone who complains about some aspect of Australian life or culture. The derivation of the word is unknown. There’s a theory that it is an acronym, POHM, standing for “prisoner of his majesty”, and referring to convicts transported from the UK to Australia. However this is almost certainly untrue, as a quick trip to [www.snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com) will show. Apart from anything else, a term to describe a migrant from the UK would not have been needed until there was a significant native-born Australian population of European extraction who distinguish themselves from migrants and, by the time this condition is satisfied the vast majority of new migrants are free settlers, not convicts. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/27 "2003-01-02T09:09:23Z")
you’ll call me british at your own risk. despite what my passport says. (technically, i’m entitled to triple nationality (ritish, irish and german)…it’s just easier to get a british passport than any of the others, and causes less confusion. although i quite fancy having a german passport with Belfast as my place of birth.) leave us out of it. north and south. ---
**Author:** ![Trader\_of\_shorts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@Trader\_of\_shorts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trader_of_shorts)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/28 "2003-01-02T09:10:12Z")
UDS is correct /aussie ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/29 "2003-01-02T09:16:12Z")
In New Zealand, the term “pom” or “pommy” mainly refers to those coming from Mother England, rather than the Scots and Irish being included. ---
**Author:** ![Trader\_of\_shorts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@Trader\_of\_shorts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trader_of_shorts)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/30 "2003-01-02T09:28:10Z")
Ice - that is also true. As long as we know they are from there. However if they sound … englishy - then they will be labeled as such. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/31 "2003-01-02T10:40:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Trader\_of\_shorts \* > \*\*Ice - that is also true. As long as we know they are from there. However if they sound … englishy - then they will be labeled as such. \*\* “If they sound … englishy??” **Trader** , mate, th’ Irish, Welsh and Scots will come lookin’ for you with pitchforks at this rate! 😉 The word “pom” is dying out, here. A “whingeing pom” was usually stereotyped as the first one with the hand up to be union shop steward, and therefore the first one to complain about conditions at work, and lead a strike. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/32 "2003-01-02T10:44:50Z")
The term “British” is used variously to refer to (a) people from Great Britain (i.e. England, Scotland and Wales) (b) people from the UK (i.e. Great Britain and Northern Ireland) or © people from Great Britain or Ireland. It is used in sense (b) officially by the UK government, which refers to “British citizens”, the “British army”, the “British ambassador” and so on. However the use of the term to refer to Irish people is considered objectionable by Irish people who do not consider themselves British (but not, obviously, by Irish people who do consider themselves British). There is, however, no other adjective to describe people, institutions or things associated with the UK. The term is occasionally used in sense © by people who are British (in sense (a)) and, again, this sense is considered objectionable by Irish people who do not consider themselves British, and is considered inaccurate by most people. As far as I know, there is no other adjective to describe people, institutions or things associated with Great Britain and Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/33 "2003-01-02T10:55:33Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Meros_ > **Except when a resident of the UK travels to France, Germany, etc. Don’t they refer to hat as “traveling to Europe”?** Incorrectly, I might add. (I’ve heard Irish people saying this too). “The Continent” is more accurate. I also confirm that as far as the British state is concerned, the collective term for UK residents is technically “[British](http://www.gherson.com/news.php3?article=nationality)”. However, as **irishgirl** points out, the word is so fraught with the danger of offense WRT Northern Ireland (and is geographically inaccurate), that I’d recommend “residents of the UK”, while residents of the British Isles should be “residents of the British Isles”\*. Or how about a neologism: **UKnese** , anyone? \*Even this term can cause irritation in Ireland, so maybe “the people of Britain and Ireland” is better. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/34 "2003-01-02T10:57:28Z")
Well, I know quite a few English people who get peeved when I call them “Brits” or “British” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/35 "2003-01-02T10:59:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zagadka \* > \*\*Well, I know quite a few English people who get peeved when I call them “Brits” or “British” 🙂 \*\* My old editor when I worked at a newspaper used to say “Don’t call me British. My nationality is English. Any c\*nt can be British, but only an Englishman can be English.” Nice chap. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Trader\_of\_shorts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@Trader\_of\_shorts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trader_of_shorts)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/36 "2003-01-02T11:07:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \* > \*\*“If they sound … englishy??” **Trader** , mate, th’ Irish, Welsh and Scots will come lookin’ for you with pitchforks at this rate! 😉 \*\* Pfft they can joint he rest. I have to agree though … a POM is an englishman or someone that is British and sounds English until it is proven he is not from Enland. IE. A Scotsman can not be a POM As for dieing out - not were i am. ---
**Author:** ![gris\_gris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/439d5e/32.png) [@gris\_gris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gris_gris)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/37 "2003-01-02T11:44:00Z")
do what I do and call them all limeys. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gris\_gris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/439d5e/32.png) [@gris\_gris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gris_gris)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/38 "2003-01-02T11:46:15Z")
yay my first post on this forum and I managed to use it by lumping a group of people all under one slang name. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/39 "2003-01-02T11:52:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gris gris \* > \*\*do what I do and call them all limeys. 🙂 \*\* Oh you and your Canuk(sp?) wit 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937/40 "2003-01-02T11:59:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gris gris \* > \*\*do what I do and call them all limeys. 🙂 \*\* Welcome to the boards, **gris gris**. In the interests of fighting ignorance, I direct you towards [this definition](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=limey) - i.e. “Limeys” are English alone. (The derivation being the practice of consuming limes on English ships to prevent scurvy). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-all-peoples-from-the-uk/145937.md?page=3)