posh

posh
\ \ [20] Although it only appeared as recently as the early 20th century, posh is one of the oldest chestnuts of English etymology. The story got around that it was an acronym for port out, starboard home, an allusion to the fact that wealthy passengers could afford the more expensive cabins on the port side of the ships going out to India, and on the starboard side returning to Britain, which kept them out of the heat of the sun. Pleasant as this story is, though, it has never been substantiated. Another possibility is that posh may be the same word as the now obsolete posh ‘dandy, swell’, a slang term current around the end of the 19th century.
\ \ This too is of unknown origin, but it has been tentatively linked with the still earlier 19thcentury slang term posh ‘halfpenny’, hence broadly ‘money’, which may have come ultimately from Romany posh ‘half’.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Posh — may refer to: * the adjective meaning either 1. Associated with the upper classes, or 2. Stylish, elegant, exclusive *Posh (album), an album by R B singer Patrice Rushen *Posh (TV series), a planned NBC series *Posh (Unix), a Policy compliant… …   Wikipedia

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  • posh — 1914, of uncertain origin; no evidence for the common derivation from an acronym of port outward, starboard home, supposedly the shipboard accommodations of wealthy British traveling to India on the P & O Lines (to keep their cabins out of the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • posh — informal ► ADJECTIVE 1) elegant or stylishly luxurious. 2) chiefly Brit. upper class. ► ADVERB Brit. ▪ in an upper class way. ► VERB (posh up) Brit. ▪ smarten (something) up. DERIVATIVES …   English terms dictionary

  • Posh! — is an up tempo song and musical number from the popular 1968 Albert R. Broccoli motion picture, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It is written by the songwriting team of Sherman Sherman. It makes reference to the myth that the word posh is an acronym for …   Wikipedia

  • posh — [ paʃ ] adjective INFORMAL something that is posh looks expensive and attractive: a posh home/hotel/restaurant …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • posh — [päsh] adj. [prob. < obs. Brit slang posh, earlier push, poosh, a dandy < ?] Informal luxurious and fashionable; elegant poshly adv. poshness n …   English World dictionary

  • posh — [adj] luxurious, upper class chic, classy, deluxe, elegant, exclusive, fashionable, grand, high class, la di da*, luxury, modish*, opulent, rich, ritzy*, smart, swank, swanky*, swish*, trendy; concepts 334,589 Ant. destitute, lower class, poor …   New thesaurus

  • posh — [[t]pɒ̱ʃ[/t]] posher, poshest 1) ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n If you describe something as posh, you mean that it is smart, fashionable, and expensive. [INFORMAL] Celebrating a promotion, I took her to a posh hotel for a cocktail. ...a posh car. ...a… …   English dictionary

  • posh — I UK [pɒʃ] / US [pɑʃ] adjective Word forms posh : adjective posh comparative posher superlative poshest informal 1) something that is posh looks expensive and attractive a posh home/hotel/restaurant 2) British someone who is posh talks or behaves …   English dictionary

  • posh — posh1 [pɔʃ US pa:ʃ] adj informal [Date: 1900 2000; Origin: Perhaps from posh money, showy man (19 20 centuries)] 1.) a posh restaurant, hotel, car etc is expensive and looks as if it is used or owned by rich people ▪ a posh private school 2.) BrE …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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