hal@asgb.UUCP (05/29/84)
An earlier article in the discussion about what to call persons of the british persuasion referred to the word "pome". When I was in Australia, I heard this word used to describe <brits, etc.> However, the other evening, I was watching some show on the tube and one of the characters mentioned that his grandfather was buried with P.O.M.E. on his gravestone as an abbreviation for Prisoner of Mother England. My question is, did pome derive somehow from P.O.M.E., or what? If it did, its use as a name for <brits,etc.> seems backwards (unless the use of the term was meant to say that those who stayed behind were the real prisoners). Webster's Collegiate says that "pommy" or "pommie" [origin unknown] (Austral.) is a term for an English immigrant (usually disparaging) which would fit with a derivation from P.O.M.E. Does anybody really know where this term came from? haleden
jsq@ut-sally.UUCP (John Quarterman) (06/04/84)
According to the Australians I originally heard the term from, pommie
is derived from P.O.M.E, which was written on the shirts of new
prisoners from Britain, and meant Prisoner of Mother England. The new
arrivals were both prisoners and British. The people already there
were mostly not prisoners and didn't want to be known as English or
British. It's no wonder that Australians use pome as a derogatory
term for the British.
Actually, the way I most often heard it used was "pommie bastard."
There is also "plastic pome," which refers to New Zealanders, who
are supposed (by some Australians) to be more British than the British,
or at least to want to be.
Pome is pronounced like half of pompom or the French word pomme. It
appears to be the same sort of word as kraut, frog, yank, canuck, etc.,
i.e., kind of a familiar and (usually) friendly insult that is intended
to show the nationality referred to is no better than the speaker's.
Of course the specific intent (as well as the effect) depends on the
circumstances and the people involved.
--
John Quarterman, CS Dept., University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712 USA
jsq@ut-sally.ARPA, jsq@ut-sally.UUCP, {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!jsqgurr@west44.UUCP (Dave Gurr) (06/11/84)
< force of habit .. >
There is also the aussie term "wingeing pome", ie (ok, so I use ie wrongly!) a
pome who winges. Wingeing is somewhat like moaning or whining, and is in
general use in Britain as well as Australia. It is sometimes spelt 'wyngeing'.
mcvax
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ukc!west44!gurr
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vax135 hou3b
Dave Gurr, Westfield College, Univ. of London, England.