Translation from English to American, Please?

[Pam Scruton]

No: HPFGUIDX 5897

The word Posh is commonly believed to have originally been an acronym 
for Port Over Starboard Home - cabins on the port side of passenger 
ships from Europe out to the East would be more comfortable (pre-
dating air conditioning) than the starboard ones and would actually 
cost more although the fixtures and fittings were identical.   On the 
way home the opposite was supposed to be true.  Only the upper middle 
class (wealth from trade and all that) and the aristocracy could 
afford to be that choosy.

Personally I've never managed to sort out the particular mixture of 
prevailing weather conditions, sunshine etc. etc. that would make 
this a more reasonable explanation than the one suggesting the word 
is a contraction of 'polish' - polished manners, polished English 
accents and grammar.

Not to be confused with 'snooty' however - one can be posh without 
being snooty. (Nose up in the air and not taking any notice of the 
lesser mortals round you.)

Pam