new boy

[SteveH]

Hi John, welcome from the second newest member! I was recently contacted by the son of an ex-23 Sqd member about a commision depicting P.51s. I think they were a post-war conversion.

Cheers,

Steve

[DOUGRD]

Originally Posted by Emac44

By the way Doug. It is a secret agenda of us Aussies to take over the internet and sites like this. Shhhhs mate don't tell the Poms (ENGLISH)

They won't hear it from me. I'm heading outback to put another shrimp on the barbie. (By the way where does Poms come from?)

[Wildcat]

Originally Posted by DOUGRD

They won't hear it from me. I'm heading outback to put another shrimp on the barbie. (By the way where does Poms come from?)

Close Doug, we eat prawns mate As for the term pom, thats what we call the English. From Wiki.

The term pommy or pommie 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.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) strongly supports the theory that pom and pommy originated as contractions of "pomegranate", Australian rhyming slang for immigrant. The OED cites a well-known Australian weekly, The Bulletin, which on 14 November 1912 reported: "The other day a Pummy Grant (assisted immigrant) was handed a bridle and told to catch a horse."[1]

A commonly-heard alternative theory is that POM originated as an acronym for "prisoner of His/Her Majesty" (POHM) or "prisoner of mother England" (POME). As many of Australia's first settlers were British convicts, sentenced to transportation to Australia, this theory holds that upon arrival in the country they would be given a uniform with "POHM" or "POME" emblazoned on the back. There is no evidence that this ever happened.

In New Zealand one meaning is "Prisoners of Mother England", meaning people who while they have moved from Britain to colonies but still refer and compare everything to, and inferior of its equivalent in England; another form is referring to Australian lowly arrivals as "Prisoners of His/Her Majesty" in comparison to New Zealander's superior method of arriving as settlers.

Another theory is that it is rhyming slang for tommy, international slang for a British soldier.

Another suggestion relates to the fact that POM is also used an acronym for "Port of Melbourne". However, the term "pommy" was coined long before the acronym was in common parlance.

Use of the word "pom" remains slightly contentious. Some British people living in Australasia find the term offensive and demeaning, others find it harmless and amusing. Attitudes to the use of the word have varied over the years; in the 1960s, slogans such as "bash a pom a day" were heard on New Zealand radio. The word has become so common that few Australians and New Zealanders see any reason to avoid using it, some even justifying the use of it as a "term of endearment". In December 2006, the Advertising Standards Board of Australia unanimously ruled that the word "pom" was a part of the Australian vernacular, and was largely used in a "playful or affectionate" sense. As a consequence, the board ruled that the word did not constitute a racial slur, and could be freely used in advertising. The Board was responding to a complaint filed by a community group called British People Against Racial Discrimination.

[Velius]

Howdy from Texas John!

[DOUGRD]

Originally Posted by Wildcat

Close Doug, we eat prawns mate As for the term pom, thats what we call the English. From Wiki.

Thanks Wildcat! The Wiki definition really cleared up "POM" for me I think?

[Njaco]

More Aussies!!! I'm gone a month and they're takin over! You know I like Mel and Peter but this is too much. Where are the sheep jokes when you need them!!

oh, welcome to the forum

[Wildcat]

Originally Posted by Njaco

. Where are the sheep jokes when you need them!!

They're being held in reserve in case more Kiwi's join up.

[Heinz]

hey mate!

Good to see quality is joining the site

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by Heinz

hey mate!

Good to see quality is joining the site

Good god a bloody Victorian talking about Quality. Like asking a Catholic Priest about birth control. Niether is going to happen

[Watanbe]

Originally Posted by Njaco

More Aussies!!! I'm gone a month and they're takin over! You know I like Mel and Peter but this is too much. Where are the sheep jokes when you need them!!

oh, welcome to the forum

The Sheep jokes wont be needed....If i was you Njaco I would develop a set of mining jokes hahah.

Welcom to the forum mate, nothing like a few more Aussies and I think I can speak for a large majority of us when I say...thank god his victorian...

[Njaco]

[Heinz]

Geez I'm waiting for the day a member from Tassie joins

[Emac44]

God can't be a Victorian. Where can you find 3 wise men and a virgin in Victoria

[Wildcat]