posh

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• General-American: /pɑʃ/
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• Received-Pronunciation: /pɒʃ/
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• Received-Pronunciation: /pəʊʃ/
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• UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ɒʃ
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• Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• CMU ARPABET: P AA1 SH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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Unknown. Most likely derived from Romani posh (“half”), either because posh-kooroona (“half a crown”) (originally a substantial sum of money) was used metaphorically for anything pricey or upper-class, or because posh-houri (“half-penny”) came to refer to money generally. A period slang dictionary defines "posh" as a term used by thieves for "money : generic, but specifically, a halfpenny or other small coin". An example is given from James Payn's The Eavesdropper (1888): "They used such funny terms: 'brads,' and 'dibbs,' and 'mopusses,' and 'posh' ... at last it was borne in upon me that they were talking about money." Evidence exists for a slang sense from the 1890s meaning dandy, which is quite possibly related. A popular folk etymology holds that the term is an acronym for "port out, starboard home", describing the cooler, north-facing cabins taken by the most aristocratic or rich passengers travelling from Britain to India and back. However, there is no evidence for this claim. It could also possibly be a clipping of polished. See also the articles mentioned in the References section below for additional discussion.

Compare pash (“smash, bash; of rain: fall heavily”).

67 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Central Bikol: sosyal — associated with the upper classes
• Bulgarian: аристократичен (aristokratičen) — associated with the upper classes
• Bulgarian: луксозен (luksozen) — associated with the upper classes
• Czech: nóbl — associated with the upper classes
• Dutch: deftig — associated with the upper classes
• Finnish: yläluokkainen — associated with the upper classes
• French: huppé — associated with the upper classes
• French: bourge — associated with the upper classes
• French: bobo — associated with the upper classes
• German: vornehm — associated with the upper classes
• Italian: lussuoso — associated with the upper classes
• Italian: affettato — associated with the upper classes
• Italian: ostentato — associated with the upper classes
• Italian: manierato — associated with the upper classes
• Italian: ricercato — associated with the upper classes
• Italian: lezioso — associated with the upper classes
• Macedonian: аристокра́тски (aristokrátski) — associated with the upper classes
• Macedonian: лу́ксузен (lúksuzen) — associated with the upper classes
• Macedonian: прво́класен (prvóklasen) — associated with the upper classes
• Polish: luksusowy — associated with the upper classes
• Russian: аристократи́ческий (aristokratíčeskij) — associated with the upper classes
• Slovak: nóbl — associated with the upper classes
• Spanish: pijo — associated with the upper classes
• Spanish: fresa — associated with the upper classes
• Spanish: pituco — associated with the upper classes
• Spanish: cheto — associated with the upper classes
• Spanish: fifí — associated with the upper classes
• Spanish: fichudo — associated with the upper classes
• Spanish: popof — associated with the upper classes
• Tagalog: sosyal — associated with the upper classes
• Bulgarian: елегантен (eleganten) — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Bulgarian: шик (šik) — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Czech: nóbl — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Czech: šik — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Czech: fajnový — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Czech: luxusní — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Dutch: chic — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Dutch: bekakt — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Esperanto: ŝika — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Finnish: hieno — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• French: huppé — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• French: chic — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• German: schick — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• German: todschick — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Greek: κυριλέ (kyrilé) — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Hungarian: sikkes — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Irish: galánta — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Italian: elegante — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Italian: esclusivo — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Italian: alla moda — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Macedonian: елега́нтен (elegánten) — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Macedonian: шик (šik) — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Portuguese: chique — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Russian: шика́рный (šikárnyj) — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Spanish: pijo — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Spanish: elitista — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Spanish: de postín — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Spanish: ficho — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Spanish: popof — stylish, elegant, exclusive
• Bulgarian: снобски (snobski) — snobbish
• Esperanto: snobo — snobbish
• Esperanto: dando — snobbish
• Finnish: leuhka — snobbish
• Italian: snobistico — snobbish
• Portuguese: esnobe — snobbish
• Spanish: fresón — snobbish
• Spanish: fifí — snobbish