They say no news is good news

[FaninOz]

But its bl**dy boring at present with nothing serious to consider or argue about or disagree over or complain about or shout Megson out for or phone Eddie about or fax Gartside about or consider not buying a season ticket for or to attack another poster over or to even critisise the newspapers over.

Its just too quiet for a transfer window, but I can't think of anything to spice it up a bit. Probably better to hibernate for the next 4 weeks or so I guess. Ah well that's off my chest so I can now get back to my house renovation work, today's job is putting in new skirting boards. Its just so much fun.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

Australians, whether ex-pats or indigenous, are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards! There - that should keep your mind occupied until the season starts.

(Only joking, by the way!)

[FaninOz]

Australians, whether ex-pats or indigenous, are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards! There - that should keep your mind occupied until the season starts.

(Only joking, by the way!)

Its something to do with being a Pom I guess, Prisoners of Her Majesty have a right to be depressed.

[Worthy4England]

Australians, whether ex-pats or indigenous, are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards! There - that should keep your mind occupied until the season starts.

(Only joking, by the way!)

You were??

[Lord Kangana]

Australians, whether ex-pats or indigenous, are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards! There - that should keep your mind occupied until the season starts.

(Only joking, by the way!)

Its something to do with being a Pom I guess, Prisoners of Her Majesty have a right to be depressed.

Not to nit-pick, but I thought it stood for 'prisoners of the mother country'?

[Bruce Rioja]

Australians, whether ex-pats or indigenous, are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards! There - that should keep your mind occupied until the season starts.

(Only joking, by the way!)

Its something to do with being a Pom I guess, Prisoners of Her Majesty have a right to be depressed.

Not to nit-pick, but I thought it stood for 'prisoners of the mother country'?

Hmm. I've always thought that it was Prisoners Of Mother England (you soap-dodging bastards, and get your fecking hair cut. Nerrrr).

[communistworkethic]

you're all wrong. It's short for "pomegranate". Go read your DH Lawrence :mrgeen:

[Lord Kangana]

you're all wrong. It's short for "pomegranate". Go read your DH Lanwrence :mrgeen:

[communistworkethic]

you're all wrong. It's short for "pomegranate". Go read your DH Lanwrence :mrgeen:

aye if anyone couldn't work out that conundrum it'd be you.

[Lord Kangana]

you're all wrong. It's short for "pomegranate". Go read your DH Lanwrence :mrgeen:

aye if anyone couldn't work out that conundrum it'd be you.

And if anyone lacks any sense of humour it would be.....

[CrazyHorse]

So we all agree then? Australians are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards.

[William the White]

So we all agree then? Australians are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards.

Pomegranates are shite, though.

So, in my view, is D H Lawrence. Unreadable. And what does he have to do with it, comrade?

[Bruce Rioja]

you're all wrong. It's short for "pomegranate". Go read your DH Lawrence :mrgeen:

Hmmm. I found Sons and Lovers to be mildly disturbing, to be honest.

[communistworkethic]

So we all agree then? Australians are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards.

Pomegranates are shite, though.

So, in my view, is D H Lawrence. Unreadable. And what does he have to do with it, comrade?

from the QI book of general ignorance.....

In the case of ‘pom’ most reliable authorities agree it is a shortening of ‘pomegranate’.

In his 1923 Australian novel, Kangaroo, DH Lawrence wrote: ‘“Pommy” is supposed to be short for pomegranate. Pomegranate, pronounced invariably pommygranate, is a near enough rhyme to immigrant, in a naturally rhyming country. Furthermore, immigrants are known in their first months, before their blood ‘thins down’, by their round and ruddy cheeks. So we are told.’

The term is first recorded in 1916 ( The Anzac book) suggesting that it dates to the latter stages of the nineteenth century, and not to the original convict ships

Michael Quinion in Port Out, Starboard Home (2000) also accepts ‘pomegranate’ citing H.J. Rumsey’s 1920 introduction to a book called The Pommie or New Chums in Australia, in which the word is sourced to children’s rhyming slang of the 1870s.

The older term ‘Jimmy Grant’ used for ‘immigrant’ became ‘Pommy Grant’, which was irresistible as the fierce Australian sun turned their ‘new chums’ skin ‘pomegranate red’.

[communistworkethic]

you're all wrong. It's short for "pomegranate". Go read your DH Lanwrence :mrgeen:

aye if anyone couldn't work out that conundrum it'd be you.

And if anyone lacks any sense of humour it would be.....

you.

There, it wasn't a tough one and really you should have known it.

[FaninOz]

So we all agree then? Australians are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards.

Pomegranates are shite, though.

So, in my view, is D H Lawrence. Unreadable. And what does he have to do with it, comrade?

from the QI book of general ignorance.....

In the case of ‘pom’ most reliable authorities agree it is a shortening of ‘pomegranate’.

In his 1923 Australian novel, Kangaroo, DH Lawrence wrote: ‘“Pommy” is supposed to be short for pomegranate. Pomegranate, pronounced invariably pommygranate, is a near enough rhyme to immigrant, in a naturally rhyming country. Furthermore, immigrants are known in their first months, before their blood ‘thins down’, by their round and ruddy cheeks. So we are told.’

The term is first recorded in 1916 ( The Anzac book) suggesting that it dates to the latter stages of the nineteenth century, and not to the original convict ships

Michael Quinion in Port Out, Starboard Home (2000) also accepts ‘pomegranate’ citing H.J. Rumsey’s 1920 introduction to a book called The Pommie or New Chums in Australia, in which the word is sourced to children’s rhyming slang of the 1870s.

The older term ‘Jimmy Grant’ used for ‘immigrant’ became ‘Pommy Grant’, which was irresistible as the fierce Australian sun turned their ‘new chums’ skin ‘pomegranate red’.

Most here would agree that it is Prisoner of Mother England (POME)

"... The term pommy or pom is commonly used by speakers of Australian English, New Zealand English, South African English and Afrikaans. It is often shortened to pom. The origin of this term is not confirmed and there are several persistent false etymologies, most being backronyms, an example of which would be P.O.M.E, Prisoner Of Mother England. It is very common to hear this term used by a player when playing against the English Cricket Team.

However, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) strongly supports the theory that pommy originated as a contraction of "pomegranate".[1] The OED also suggests that the reason for this is that pomegranate is extinct Australian rhyming slang for immigrant; it cites an article from 14 November 1912, in a once-prominent Australian weekly magazine The Bulletin: "The other day a Pummy Grant (assisted immigrant) was handed a bridle and told to catch a horse." A popular alternative explanation for the theory that pommy is a contraction of "pomegranate", relates to the purported frequency of sunburn among British people in Australia, turning their fair skin the colour of pomegranates.[2] However, there is no hard evidence for the theory regarding sunburn.

A false etymology (or "backronym") common in both Australia and New Zealand is that pom originated as an acronym for "prisoner of (his/her) majesty" or "prisoner of mother England". Although many of the first British settlers in Australia were convicts sentenced to transportation to Australia, there is no evidence for this. Some proponents of this theory claim that upon arrival in the country they would be given a uniform with "POHM" or "POME" emblazoned on the back, which apparently stood for Prisoners Of Her Majesty but there are no images or examples of these uniforms. In addition, it is used to mean 'Product of Mother England'.

At least this discussion is more interesting than the current transfer activity, or lack of it that is.

[Raven]

So we all agree then? Australians are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards.

No idea but the accent is easily the most grinding!

Although i could have been an Aussie if dad had taken up the option of moving out there!

[Zulus Thousand of em]

At least this discussion is more interesting than the current transfer activity, or lack of it that is.

Phew! That worked then.

[communistworkethic]

So we all agree then? Australians are a bunch of whining, workshy, soap-dodging bastards.

Pomegranates are shite, though.

So, in my view, is D H Lawrence. Unreadable. And what does he have to do with it, comrade?

from the QI book of general ignorance.....

In the case of ‘pom’ most reliable authorities agree it is a shortening of ‘pomegranate’.

In his 1923 Australian novel, Kangaroo, DH Lawrence wrote: ‘“Pommy” is supposed to be short for pomegranate. Pomegranate, pronounced invariably pommygranate, is a near enough rhyme to immigrant, in a naturally rhyming country. Furthermore, immigrants are known in their first months, before their blood ‘thins down’, by their round and ruddy cheeks. So we are told.’

The term is first recorded in 1916 ( The Anzac book) suggesting that it dates to the latter stages of the nineteenth century, and not to the original convict ships

Michael Quinion in Port Out, Starboard Home (2000) also accepts ‘pomegranate’ citing H.J. Rumsey’s 1920 introduction to a book called The Pommie or New Chums in Australia, in which the word is sourced to children’s rhyming slang of the 1870s.

The older term ‘Jimmy Grant’ used for ‘immigrant’ became ‘Pommy Grant’, which was irresistible as the fierce Australian sun turned their ‘new chums’ skin ‘pomegranate red’.

Most here would agree that it is Prisoner of Mother England (POME)

"... The term pommy or pom is commonly used by speakers of Australian English, New Zealand English, South African English and Afrikaans. It is often shortened to pom. The origin of this term is not confirmed and there are several persistent false etymologies, most being backronyms, an example of which would be P.O.M.E, Prisoner Of Mother England. It is very common to hear this term used by a player when playing against the English Cricket Team.

However, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) strongly supports the theory that pommy originated as a contraction of "pomegranate".[1] The OED also suggests that the reason for this is that pomegranate is extinct Australian rhyming slang for immigrant; it cites an article from 14 November 1912, in a once-prominent Australian weekly magazine The Bulletin: "The other day a Pummy Grant (assisted immigrant) was handed a bridle and told to catch a horse." A popular alternative explanation for the theory that pommy is a contraction of "pomegranate", relates to the purported frequency of sunburn among British people in Australia, turning their fair skin the colour of pomegranates.[2] However, there is no hard evidence for the theory regarding sunburn.

A false etymology (or "backronym") common in both Australia and New Zealand is that pom originated as an acronym for "prisoner of (his/her) majesty" or "prisoner of mother England". Although many of the first British settlers in Australia were convicts sentenced to transportation to Australia, there is no evidence for this. Some proponents of this theory claim that upon arrival in the country they would be given a uniform with "POHM" or "POME" emblazoned on the back, which apparently stood for Prisoners Of Her Majesty but there are no images or examples of these uniforms. In addition, it is used to mean 'Product of Mother England'.

At least this discussion is more interesting than the current transfer activity, or lack of it that is.

brilliant, you've posted something that shows Aussies are equally as worng as anyone else when it come to the etymology. Thanks.

[Worthy4England]

I'm still trying to establish how pi88ed you'd need to be to get pomegranate to rhyme with immigrant.