I went to a private boarding school and have a posh sounding voice, but is that enough to make me posh? Privileged, certainly, but we often muddle the two. Although its exact origins are disputed, the word "posh" comes from an old maritime term, "Port Out Starboard Home", which were the favoured cabin sides for the wealthy who could afford the best views of land while travelling the world on luxury liners. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it means someone from the "upper classes", or aristocracy.