One might have often read articles in the Australian press referring to the English cricketers as ‘Poms’. In fact, the term ‘Whinging Poms’ will find a mention in these articles which try to state how the England’s players are not willing to deal with the slightest discomforting match situation and have a tendency to constantly whine or complaint about the same.
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Usage of the word ‘Pom’ while referring to a person might not seem derogatory, but who are the others to decide for the people who are actually at the receiving end and indeed find it offensive? Also, if it is not meant to offend the British, the term would have been used frequently and just as often as ‘Kiwi’ is used for people hailing from New Zealand.
Having said that, there are many English people as well who believe ‘Pom’ is nothing but a term of endearment. However, it does become offensive when used with an expletive and the mockery undertone becomes apparently visible.
Why Do Australian Fans Refer To English Cricketers As ‘Poms’?
First things first, ‘Poms’ is not used exclusively for English cricketers but for British-origin people collectively. The origin of the term is disputed, but there are two strong theories from the past which explains the meaning of the acronym.
The initial unproved theory is that the word was first used for the British convicts who were shipped to the Botany Bay, the first penal colony in Australia during the 1770s. These convicts were referred to as the ‘Prisoners Of Her Majesty’ or simply ‘POMS’.
The another much popular claim is that the acronym’s first usage was during the late 19th century as a nickname for English immigrants. ‘Pom’ is actually, as the theory believes, an acronym for ‘Pomegranate’ as the red colour of the fruit matched the complexion of the British immigrants who had arrived in Australia during the time.
A Term For The Aussie National Pride
Australians are fond of using the term while expressing a national pride in context of the country’s British colonial past (Australia was a collection of British colonies from 1788 until 1901).
In fierce sporting contests such as the rivalry for The Ashes between the two countries, the Aussies generally use the term for the English team as a given for they are always confident of the latter getting thrashed in the series by the Australian team.
