[net.nlang] POSH, once more

minow (03/08/83)

As noted, it means "Port Outbound, Starboard Homebound".  The
reason was this puts the stateroom on the North side of the
ship during the entire voyage.  This would be significantly cooler
than the sunny South side.  (Outbound was Easterly from England to
Africa, India, and the Orient.)

Martin Minow
decvax!minow

porges (03/13/83)

#R:decvax:-42500:inmet:7300004:000:534
inmet!porges    Mar 11 14:09:00 1983

	The "Port Out Starboard Home" derivation of POSH is a famous
piece of "folk etymology" which means it's not true.  I forget where
I learned this (I think LA Times columnist Jack Smith), but one piece
of evidence was that Port wasn't called Port in the last century, but
"Hardboard" or some such word connect with Starboard.  The same article
(collected in a book) said that he had looked over maps of ocean liners
in the last century and the given derivation of the word didn't match up
with where the expensive cabins really were.

otto (03/17/83)

I believe the old term for port was "larboard," not hardboard!

George Otto
Bell Labs, Indian Hill
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