# Pogue Mahone **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pogue-mahone/208256 "2003-10-18T23:40:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pogue-mahone/208256/1 "2003-10-18T23:40:56Z")
I’ve heard that Pogue Mahone means “kiss my arse”. Since my favourite band changed their name to The Pogues, I assume “pogue” means kiss. But what’s the Straight Dope? ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pogue-mahone/208256/2 "2003-10-19T00:20:00Z")
Indeed it does. But it is spelt mo thóin (my ass). ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pogue-mahone/208256/3 "2003-10-19T00:20:44Z")
I f you are not being funny – the spelling is off – even if the pronunciation is close - It is usually written: _Póg mo thóin_ [http://www.faqs.org/faqs/cultures/irish-faq/part03/section-11.html](http://www.faqs.org/faqs/cultures/irish-faq/part03/section-11.html) ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pogue-mahone/208256/4 "2003-10-19T00:42:53Z")
That is the basic explanation (e.g. see [Listology on band names](http://listology.com/content_show.cfm/content_id.8720)) but there’s more to it. A Google search will confirm that “pogue” is also early 20th century US slang for a rent boy, and that given the gay allusions of some of the Pogues’ work - for instance, “Lorca’s Novena”, “Hell’s Ditch” (about Jean Genet), and the use of the “Raft of the Medusa” for the cover of “Rum, Sodomy and the Lash” - I think they had that meaning in mind too. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pogue-mahone/208256/5 "2003-10-19T05:05:57Z")
Thanks. 🙂 **raygirvan** : And then there’s Cáit O’Riordan singing a male part in _I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day_. Re “pogue”: A friend of mine uses the word to describe a “loser”. I looked it up, and found “Derogatory military slang used by front line troops to describe staff and other rear echelon or support units/troops”. (My friend was in the army.) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pogue-mahone/208256/6 "2003-10-19T17:19:41Z")
In parts of Canada, “being on pogey” is slang for welfare. Don’t know the derivation of it. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pogue-mahone/208256/7 "2003-10-19T18:02:30Z")
**NP** , “pogey” orginally meant a poorhouse, but the ultimate origin is unknown. The first citation in the OED is from 1891. The first citation for the meaning of unemployment insurance payments is from 1960. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pogue-mahone/208256/8 "2003-10-20T03:35:13Z")
Interesting - thanks.