Australian and New Zealand slang for a British person, especially an English immigrant. Often used in the phrase 'whinging pom'.
Possibly from 'Prisoner of His/Her Majesty' (POHM) or from 'pomegranate' referring to the red cheeks of sun-sensitive British immigrants. First recorded in Australian English around 1912.
The etymology of 'pom' remains delightfully disputed among linguists, with theories ranging from prison acronyms to fruit metaphors. This uncertainty itself reflects the playful, irreverent nature of Australian slang, where the story behind a word can be as colorful as the word itself.
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