2006-08-18 22:40:13 · 11 answers · asked by pagey 1 in Travel ➔ Australia ➔ Other - Australia
its POME - Prisoner Of Mother England
2006-08-19 18:16:35 · answer #1 · answered by Aussieblonde -bundy'd 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Prisoner of His Majesties Service (POHM)
It's when the Brits got sent to Oz as a punishment instead of being sent to jail
2006-08-18 22:46:14 · answer #2 · answered by Patchouli Pammy 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They say it means two things.
Prisoners of mother england.
It also refers to POM which is french for apple and when the brits used to sail to oz they used to stop off at african ports to stock up on french apples. The apples helped to stop scermy a diasese.
2006-08-18 22:55:39 · answer #3 · answered by internat y 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Originally from "prisoners of Mother England" now a term used - with affection, not as derogatory term, well, by most people anyway. Some of my dearest friends are poms......
2006-08-18 23:51:54 · answer #4 · answered by maggie rose 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
criminals transported to Australia were designated "Prisoners of His Majesty" or "Prisoners of Mother England" (some versions claim the convicts bore one of these legends printed on the backs of their shirts), and thus the acronym "POHM" or "POME" eventually evolved into the slang term "pom" or "pommy."
2006-08-18 22:47:26 · answer #5 · answered by oz_gurl2005 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
pommie refers to potatoes so i think it refers to the irish more due to the potato famine but just got used for the brits as time went by!
2006-08-18 22:47:17 · answer #6 · answered by Lou 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Ok it's POM I should know i am an Australian and refers to the Brits in this way,
P-Prisoners
O-Of His
M-Majesty
There ya happy.
G'day mate!!
2006-08-18 22:58:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
i thought it was for "property of mother england". for the prisoners in australia. its not the british who are poms, just the english i think
2006-08-19 00:10:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Another reason that I have heard as to why they are called POMS is because it's so cold in england, thay are always wearing POM POM hats.
2006-08-19 12:32:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
this one always makes me laugh, as they call us pomes but they are all mostly decended from the prisoners so that makes them the pomes, surely.
2006-08-18 22:52:45 · answer #10 · answered by sambay66 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋