Posh stands for Port Out Starboard Home
| Posh stands for Port Out Starboard Home | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| ""Posh" comes from "Port Out, Starboard Home," stamped on the tickets of wealthy passengers who booked the shaded side of ships between Britain and India." | |
| Domain | Language, Folklore & Urban Legends |
| Tactic | Fabrication |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1930s |
| Origin | A popular explanation that appeared after the word was already in use |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |
| Further reading: books on Language, Folklore & Urban Legends | |
The story that posh stands for "Port Out, Starboard Home" is a classic backronym, an acronym invented to explain an existing word. No tickets stamped "P.O.S.H." have ever been found, and the shipping line P&O has found no evidence of the practice. The origin of "posh" is uncertain; it may come from older slang meaning money or a dandy.
The claim
Wealthy passengers to India supposedly paid more for cabins shaded from the sun on each leg of the voyage.
What the evidence shows
- No tickets. Researchers and P&O's archive have found no tickets or documents with the stamp.
- Dictionary view. The Oxford English Dictionary calls the acronym story unsupported.
- Earlier slang. "Posh" appears in late-19th-century slang for money and in early-20th-century use for smart or swanky.
Sources
- Oxford English Dictionary, "posh."
- Online Etymology Dictionary, "posh."