Keith and Linda Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Try 'POHM' prisoner of his Majesty, from the time of the 1st fleet, the term has lost its true meaning over time and now 'pom' is the general term for English people, mother England is a relatively new term derived from 'mother country' which applies to any country from which you or your family are from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Nope, you're wrong about this. "Pom" is not an acronym for "Prisoner of Mother England", "Prisoner of the Motherland", "Prisoner of Her Majesty" or anything similar. The etymology is unknown, but the most plausible theory is it is a derivation of the word "Pomegranate" which was used as a kind a rhyming slang for immigrant. ...and I stand corrected, this proves, never trust the internet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 no-one is forcing you to stay. :sleep: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 internet not involved, previous research from many years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Jeez, the poor guy only came on to air how he was feeling and he got a real load of crap for it. Bet he feels a whole lot better now....not. Someone wrote this in another post but as Pink Floyd sang. "Hanging on in quite desperation is the English way". Ha cheers Paul1Perth, im thicker skinned than this though mate.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petkula73 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 internet not involved, previous research from many years ago. Prisoner of Her Majesty etc are "backronyms". Same with things like "Golf" (Gentleman Only, Ladies Forbidden"), "s**t" (Store High In Transit), "Posh" (Port Out Starboard Home), "Wog" (Westernised Oriental Gentleman) and so on. Acronyms are a pretty recent thing in the English language, so anything that's not a modern day thing is most likely to have had a backronym applied. http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/pommy.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akiralx Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Look at the long term picture. You will make friends (takes time). Well, you probably will, if you're gregarious and fairly outgoing. If you aren't, you may struggle. I haven't, and we've been here 4 years - I'm just not into most 'blokey' things which is a barrier I think. Plenty of friends in the UK I miss... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Ha cheers Paul1Perth, im thicker skinned than this though mate.... Thick skin is good for living anywhere mate. My wife couldn't believe how everyone constantly took the p*** out of each other where I'm from (Chesterfield) I'd met her on holiday in Bournemouth and she's from near Stockport. She thought it was cruel when she first came over but soon got used to the humour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Well, you probably will, if you're gregarious and fairly outgoing. If you aren't, you may struggle. I haven't, and we've been here 4 years - I'm just not into most 'blokey' things which is a barrier I think. Plenty of friends in the UK I miss... How dare you ;-) I play football (soccer) golf too, often take the kids out too...fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 I disagree. The situation in the UK has gone beyond competition and in to exploitation. Given the market share, the UK supermarkets can pretty much treat their suppliers in any way they want. If Tesco decides it's going to pay 10% less for Brand X this year, then the supplier has a choice - either take the hit, or lose the customer. That's fine with in the larger manufacturers and has driven efficiency. But there's a wider picture. The farmer who has been told Tesco will pay him 4p a litre less for milk can't become 4p a litre more efficient. Magnify this across a range of suppliers, and to their suppliers and all we see is soaring profits for supermarkets, whilst everyone else loses out. And where is the cost cutting from the supermarkets going? One place it's not going is to the customers. Supermarkets have all number of tricks to convince shoppers what a great deal they are getting, whilst at the same time raising prices on non-known value items to compensate for the loss leaders and discounts. The customers save very little, despite the spin from the supermarkets. How many bogus deals do Tesco have for example? How many bottles of very average Hardy's or Oxford Landing wine were £9.99 but are miraculously reduced to £4.99? How much was that wine ever actually worth and how many bottles were sold at the "original" price? Yet, the average Tesco customer sees this as a great deal, despite the fact that their local wine shop sells better quality products at the same price. Of course, the Tesco shopper is "too busy" to venture to their local shop, so they don't know this. "Competition" has also limited choice. If you go to the largest Tesco, how much choice do they actually have? How many types of cheese would they stock for example? Not as many as you'd think. UK supermarkets carry something like 30,000 lines on average, but most of it is very similar stuff that sells in high volumes, all bought in huge quantities. If you can find a local cheese shop, you'll find 10 times more variety than Tesco could ever stock as the retailer can take smaller volumes. But, there average high street no longer has a cheese shop, a fish monger, a butcher, a baker, a greengrocer thanks to Tesco. Bulk buying economy mild cheddar (and Tesco has row of rubbish like this) and selling off for £2 a block has put the little guys out of business. Australia doesn't have competition like this at the moment and therefore in my local high street we still have all of these shops. Yes, we pay a bit more, but is that really such a bad thing to keep the choice and give someone a living? Uk supermarkets are some on the biggest employers in the land, have you seen all the Chinese people picking fruit and veg in the fields in Australia...? Bet the POOR farmer pays them well..!! And all the working holiday visa kids picking fruit in the fields, again I bet their paid well. Love you kind of people preaching like you do, all typed from your Chinese phone, tablet, lap top or pc... Brilliant .!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 I love the use/over use of the word Pom....or Pome as it should be written. Does it not stand for Prisoner Of Mother England?? Correct me if not. Definitely not Prisoner of Mother England....although it's a very common belief. The word "Pom" was first heard around the Melbourne docks at the end of the 1800s - about 40 years after convict transportation had ended. However, there were a lot of dock workers from London's East End working on the Melbourne docks at the time and it is most probable that it was rhyming slang for immigrant - "pomegran't" - on account of the sunburnt faces of new arrivals who had just spent weeks/months on ships coming through the tropics. was Australia not originally populated by prisoners???? No...I think the original indigenous inhabitants would be offended by that. :rolleyes: Later on...about 1 in 6 were prisoners by the time transportation ended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Definitely not Prisoner of Mother England....although it's a very common belief. The word "Pom" was first heard around the Melbourne docks at the end of the 1800s - about 40 years after convict transportation had ended. However, there were a lot of dock workers from London's East End working on the Melbourne docks at the time and it is most probable that it was rhyming slang for immigrant - "pomegran't" - on account of the sunburnt faces of new arrivals who had just spent weeks/months on ships coming through the tropics. No...I think the original indigenous inhabitants would be offended by that. :rolleyes: Aside from the aboriginals... Later on...about 1 in 6 were prisoners by the time transportation ended. Woah, 1 in 6? never knew it was that high. Informative post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 ......was Australia not originally populated by prisoners???? Skani has already mentioned the indigenous people. With regard to those coming to Australia to settle a couple of hundred years or so ago, no, not all of it. South Australia's history is interesting reading should you want to have a browse of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petkula73 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Uk supermarkets are some on the biggest employers in the land, have you seen all the Chinese people picking fruit and veg in the fields in Australia...? Bet the POOR farmer pays them well..!! And all the working holiday visa kids picking fruit in the fields, again I bet their paid well. Love you kind of people preaching like you do, all typed from your Chinese phone, tablet, lap top or pc... Brilliant .!! How much do Tesco and ASDA pay people to stack shelves and work on the tills? Not that local shops paid any more, but someone with a bit of enterprise could start a small business selling fruit or bread and make a living for themselves. These people now work in ASDA on the minimum wage. "You kind of people preaching" is somewhat of a platitude. Do you agree with the exploitation of children then? Don't really know what your point is here. It is not possible to have a social conscience without living in a wigwam, eating tofu and making clothes from hemp? I can't buy a laptop made by an artisan in his shed in the Mornington Peninsular, but I need one for work and play, so buy a Dell one like everyone else. Does this therefore make me a hypocrite to object to Tesco flying runner beans in daily from Uganda? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 How much do Tesco and ASDA pay people to stack shelves and work on the tills? Not that local shops paid any more, but someone with a bit of enterprise could start a small business selling fruit or bread and make a living for themselves. These people now work in ASDA on the minimum wage. "You kind of people preaching" is somewhat of a platitude. Do you agree with the exploitation of children then? Don't really know what your point is here. It is not possible to have a social conscience without living in a wigwam, eating tofu and making clothes from hemp? I can't buy a laptop made by an artisan in his shed in the Mornington Peninsular, but I need one for work and play, so buy a Dell one like everyone else. Does this therefore make me a hypocrite to object to Tesco flying runner beans in daily from Uganda? Yes it does.. " it's ok because I need it for work" because somewhere down the line people have been exploited in the goods you have brought.. It's the way of the world and it's never going to change. Just think yourself lucky your not one of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petkula73 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Yes it does.. " it's ok because I need it for work" because somewhere down the line people have been exploited in the goods you have brought.. It's the way of the world and it's never going to change. Just think yourself lucky your not one of them Let's just ignore the problem then, eh? No-one could ever change anything right? How about the trade union movement? Or the abolition of slavery? Or free education, the NHS, the welfare state, the co-operative movement and so on? If it was really "the way of the world and things will never change" you'd be living in abject poverty, disease ridden, uneducated and lucky to live to 35. And yes, I do need a laptop for work. I also drive a car, fly on planes, consume a disproportionate share of the world's resources and indirectly exploit people in the third world. I'm as imperfect as the next man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Let's just ignore the problem then, eh? No-one could ever change anything right? How about the trade union movement? Or the abolition of slavery? Or free education, the NHS, the welfare state, the co-operative movement and so on? If it was really "the way of the world and things will never change" you'd be living in abject poverty, disease ridden, uneducated and lucky to live to 35. And yes, I do need a laptop for work. I also drive a car, fly on planes, consume a disproportionate share of the world's resources and indirectly exploit people in the third world. I'm as imperfect as the next man. Go work for greenpeace..!! Your feel better for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petkula73 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Go work for greenpeace..!! Your feel better for it Yeah, because I've got to be some sort of bloody hippy for thinking like this haven't I... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 What was the OP about again?!? :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 What was the OP about again?!? :biggrin: Am starting to think the OP came here just to help start a squabble and then sit back and enjoy the fun.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Am starting to think the OP came here just to help start a squabble and then sit back and enjoy the fun.. OR... the OP came here, got criticised, abused told what to think etc....and then the post just went off on its own course with people showing their true colours???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcorners Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 How much do Tesco and ASDA pay people to stack shelves and work on the tills? Not that local shops paid any more, but someone with a bit of enterprise could start a small business selling fruit or bread and make a living for themselves. These people now work in ASDA on the minimum wage. "You kind of people preaching" is somewhat of a platitude. Do you agree with the exploitation of children then? Don't really know what your point is here. It is not possible to have a social conscience without living in a wigwam, eating tofu and making clothes from hemp? I can't buy a laptop made by an artisan in his shed in the Mornington Peninsular, but I need one for work and play, so buy a Dell one like everyone else. Does this therefore make me a hypocrite to object to Tesco flying runner beans in daily from Uganda? When did you last live in the UK? Only asking because small business selling quality locally grown/made produce are really starting to boom and I expect this trend will only continue to rise once the economy gets back on its feet. When I lived there I got a veg box delivered from a local farm, I can't do that here. I sometimes shop at the butchers but I know their chicken isn't free range so I get it from Woolies instead, where it is free range or organic. Goes to show a 'local' high street business isn't always better. These people with small business selling fruit or bread are still there, they are becoming far more business savvy and adding value to their products, making their products desirable in the modern market place and in many cases doing really well!! I would suggest that the folks working in Tesco/Asda/Coles/Woolies have absolutely no interest in creating their own businesses, that goes for Australia or the UK. You're arguments don't make Australia any better than the UK and vice versa, big businesses dominate in both but there is still room for the little guy, you just have to go out and find them. I buy as much as possible from local small businesses but true local products are a bit of a rarity here, I'm talking about a choice between beer, gold and honey! So it all depends where you are too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 OR... the OP came here, got criticised, abused told what to think etc....and then the post just went off on its own course with people showing their true colours???? You say potato... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 You say potato... ah, once again Im being told what my intentions were....sorry, I must have forgot...it wasnt written on this page, only the other 12! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 ah, once again Im being told what my intentions were....sorry, I must have forgot...it wasnt written on this page, only the other 12! lol, you poor hard done by soul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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