Where are you from in China?

[Han]

I am Han, from China. I've been reading Finantial Times for a couple of months now and I found http://zhongwen.ft.com is particularly handful for these who wish to take part in speaking posh Business English.

[Clark]

[Torsten]

[Han]

Hi Torsten, yes I would and am speaking posh English. I am not sure where term posh is originated, could you suggest some hints?

[Torsten]

Hi Han, it's very good you are interested in the origin. The story goes that in at the beginning of the 20th century the more well-to-do passengers travelling to and from India used to have POSH written against their bookings, standing for 'Port Out, Starboard Home' (indicating the more desirable cabins, on the shady side of the ship). So, those were the people with a higher social standing and it follows they used to have a special way of speaking English.
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Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Han]

That indeed is a very interesting tale. I guess you read a range of books, don't you?

[Advoca]

Ah! Port out starboard home -- the traditional explanation!

However, Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (an erudite work if ever there was one) says "This traditional explanation is almost certainly fictitious, and the word may have evolved its sense from the slang 'posh' meaning a dandy.

[Torsten]