Where Did the Word “Posh” Come From, What the Term Mean, and How Did it Originate?

In the days of their empire, British tourists traveled by ship from England to the warmer climates of India and the Mediterranean.

Wealthy passengers on these voyages demanded cabins shaded from the sun, which meant being on the port side on the way out and the starboard side on the way home.

Tickets for these cabins were marked “POSH,” which stood for Portside Out, Starboard Home, and posh stuck as a word that signified luxury.

That’s why we call luxurious living a “posh” existence.