Quote:
Originally Posted by smc
It's short for pommy, a term used in Australia and New Zealand (and maybe South Africa; I can't remember, to refer to someone of general "British" descent (which includes English, Welsh, Scottish, and even Irish, if from the North). It comes from "pomegranate" (if you accept what the OED states); "pummy grant" is old Australian slang for an immigrant.
There are other theories that the OED dismisses.
A few years ago, the term was officially deemed "no longer offensive" in Australia -- as if officials can decide for individuals what is and isn't personally offensive.
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I don't know about South Africa but Australians generally only use the term to refer to the English. Not the Scottish or Irish.
Only definition I ever heard over there is this one:
POMMY = POME = Prisoner Of Mother England