poh

See also: POH, pOH, and pŏh

English

Interjection

poh

1. (dated) Indicating that something is trivial and not worth consideration.
   • 1811 May 29, William Cobbett, “Summary of Politics”, in Cobbett's Weekly Political Register, volume 19, number 43, page 1323:

     Oh, poh! they might have been counted some how or other, unless indeed they were so numerous as to require all our people to stand sentinel round them.

   • 1856, Oliver Goldsmith, The Works of Oliver Goldsmith, page 69:

     Poh, it's from your sister at Lyons, and contains good news: read it.

   • 1877, Abby Morton Diaz, Brother Billy, Dorry Baker, and Bubby Short, page 208:

     "Oh poh!" said Benny. "When I grow up, I'm goin' to have a span!"

   • 1857, William Harrison Ainsworth, The Spendthrift: A Tale, page 298:

     "Poh, poh! it's a mere trifle, I repeat," Tibbits rejoined.

   • 1873, The Australian Journal:

     “Oh, poh, poh !—her purse, if she likes it better; the little receptacle which my wife and daughters find it convenient for me to keep—well filled—in my pocket.

   • 1873, American Observer - Volume 10, page 492:

     The virtue of the yaller dog is his bark. To hear that bark and not see the barker would make one imagine that he did the biting for all dogdom: but seeing the source one only says, “Poh, it's the yaller dog !”

2. (dated) Expressing disagreement or irritation
   • 1738, Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, According to the Most Polite Mode and Method Now Used at Court, and in the Best Companies of England. In Three Dialogues, London: Printed by B[enjamin] Motte, and C. Bathurst, at the Middle Temple-Gate in Fleet-street, →OCLC, page 61:

     Lady Anſw[erall]. Colonel, ſome Ladies of your Acquaintance have promis'd to breakfast with you, and I am to wait on them; what will you give us? / Col[onel Atwit]. Why, faith, Madam, Batchelors Fare; Bread and Cheeſe, and Kiſſes. / Lady Anſw. Poh! what have you Batchelors to do with your Money, but to treat the Ladies? you have nothing to keep but your own Four Quarters.

   • 1862 April 26, Gerald Griffin, “Suil Dhuv, The Coiner”, in Illustrated Dublin Journal, volume 1, number 34:

     Oh — poh ! how do you know I had any call to the dark man - and as for Sally — sure there she's westwards in" the fields ; take her, and welcome. Keep out o' my way now, I'd advise you.

   • 2013, Winston Graham, The Grove of Eagles: A Novel of Elizabethan England, page 267:

     “Oh, poh, you're joking now. As if you're s' innocent as all that! I'm not the only girl you've kissed an' fondled.

   • 1978, Samuel Agnew Schreiner, Angelica: a novel, page 1:

     Poh, but it's a dull day! I think I'll be off to the races.

3. (dated) Expressing disgust or repulsion.
   • 1851, Eliza Cook, Eliza Cook's Journal, page 327:

     Poh it's disgusting, Mr. Caudle.

   • 1859, Henry Ward Beecher, Plain and Pleasant Talk About Fruits, Flowers and Farming:

     But if my way were written down and printed, he would not touch it. "Poh, it's bookish !"

   • 1866, John Turner, The American Farmer, page 359:

     "Poh, it's all bosh!" Now let us inquire in what States land is the best managed, yields the most with the least cost, where are the best sheep, the best cattle, the best hegs, the best wheat?

   • 1916, Arnold Bennett, These Twain, page 22:

     George exploded coarsely: “Poh! It's no good asking mother."

Synonyms

• (something is trivial): pht, feh, meh, pooh, pshaw, pish
• (disagreement or irritation): tush, bah, see also Thesaurus:bah
• (disgust, or repulsion): bleah, eww, ick, pooh, uck; see also Thesaurus:yuck

References

• “poh”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• OHP, PHO, Pho, hop, pho

Arem

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *pəs, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *d₁puulh; cognate with Vietnamese bảy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pʌh]

Numeral

poh

1. seven

Further reading

• Michel Ferlus, 2014, Arem, a Vietic Language, Mon-Khmer Studies 43.1-15, page 5

Balinese

Romanization

poh

1. Romanization of ᬧᭀᬄ

Italian

Interjection

poh

1. pooh! (expression of dismissal or contempt)

Javanese

Romanization

poh

1. Romanization of ꦥꦺꦴꦃ

Old Javanese

Etymology

Affixed woh, wwah (“fruit”) +‎ pa-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /poh/

Noun

poh

1. mango

   Synonym: cūta

Derived terms

• poh cĕmĕṅ
• poh danta
• poh suṅsaṅ

 

Descendants

• > Javanese: ꦥꦺꦴꦃ (poh) (inherited)
• → Balinese: ᬧᭀᬄ (poh)

Further reading

• "poh" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.