Herman Is My Man!

Need I say more?

I was recently given a book titled, "The Book of Totally Useless Information" by Don Voorhees and as you can probably imagine, I'm thoroughly enjoying it! Here is a sample I thought you might enjoy.

Why is "posh" a word to describe something elegant or fashionable?

"During the Victorian era, the British Empire was at its apex, with colonies all around the globe. Thus the old saying, "The sun never sets of the British Empire". India was a popular destination for the wealthy British traveler. The only practical and luxurious way to get to India was aboard a cruise ship. The journey from London to Bombay or Calcutta was a long one. Ships had to follow the west coast of Africa down around the Cape of Good Hope and up the east coast of Africa toward India. Much of the trip was through hot, humid, tropical climates."

"The only cool air one might expect was from ocean breezes and fans. Cabins tended to be hot and stuffy, so opening the portholes was the way to get ventilation. On the trip out [to India] the port side [left side]of the ship faced land and on the way home, the portholes on the starboard side [right side] faced land. Portholes facing land were considered more desirable for ventilation, shade, shelter from bad weather, and viewing purposes."

Once the Peninsular and Orient Steam Navigation Company started accepting reservations for such cabins - "it became trendy for the wealthy to pay for the privilege of staying in port side cabins on the way out and starboard side cabins on the trip home. The acronym P.O.S.H. (port out, starboard home) was stamped on their baggage and eventually evolved into the word "posh," which came to mean elegant or fashionable."

To which, I feel like adding the old Ripley's "Believe it...or not!"