AIBU to be slightly miffed that "throwing a paddy" refers to Irish people ?

[scuzy]

If having a paddy meant being drunk, i'd understand. but to associate it with having a tantrum when of recent years at footballs games, riots etc its the english that are the ones more deserving of this title.

not sure what it would be called then.

any suggestions? having a ....????

As far as I know it's to do with Paddy fields and not Irish people Lol!!

well according to a thread in chat i just posted asking what it was, all replies said it was to do with Irish people having tantrums and being aggresive and therefore "having a paddy" was born.

whats the paddy fields reference Worraliberty?

I say tizzy. Because it makes the person having the tizzy sound like a silly little obnoxious hobgoblin.

'Throwing a paddy' is a phrase that always catches my eye as it is an example of residual racism from a different era. I'd bet that most people who use the phrase have no idea of its origin.

I think it is a silly phrase that should not be used.

YABU to start in on the English though. Annoying and pointless.

fair point Humphrey but I have never seen it or heard of it before until this website, which is predominately english.

Stranded bear I dont understand your post.

but just to start in on another nationality ruins your moral high ground

Mr dad says 'having a paddy' and he's Irish. Didn't think it had anything racist to it tbh

Humphrey I would agree only that it seems to be originating from a nationality more fitting of the title. it is slightly ironic.

i dont like the phrase the more I think about it. and have read it a few times recently on AIBU so was curious. I asked in Chat as AIBU is not the place for it. Then once I was told what it was I posted here looking for opinions on it.

i would say racist is too strong a word for it.

If having a paddy meant being drunk, i'd understand That's even more offensive if you ask me! The 'drunken Irish' stereotype is ok?

As far as I know there is no 'tantrum throwing Irish' stereotype so 'having a Paddy' is meaningless and doesn't offend me as an Irish person.

In fact the rest of Europe slag us off for being so passive in the face of all the corruption and injustice here so 'throwing a Paddy' meh, don't get it. Not offended.

The truth is (and I have Irish parents) no-one actually knows the origin of the expression.

But one theory is that it's to do with how far the Paddy farmers could throw their knives.

If you look up the etymology of different phrases including "paddy", there are some interesting divergences. For example, in US black slang, a "paddy" was at one time generic slang for a white person, nothing to do with the Irish. And the "paddywagon" was possibly named because so many US police officers were Irish, rather than because the most regular passengers inside them were of Irish origin. So don't automatically assume that the origin is derogatory. I'm Scottish and don't see that "jock" is necessarily provocative. Language comes up with words as part of natural evolution, then some fall into disuse.

we might not like it but the irish are associated with being drunk ... agree or disagree its a fact. remember tshirts printed recently and on sale in the states?

anyways, i was wondering what "having a paddy" meant and I was told it was in relation to tantrums. I had never heard that before. Was told it was in reference to agressive behaviour.

I am throwing it out there fore debate/opinions.

I have never heard of any other irish person refer to this.

oh interesting Worraliberty. might ask my parents. am really curious about this.

YABU to think English people are worthy of a name you don't want. Most of us don't have fights or join in riots you know.

Whether the Irish or English are more prone to brawling is rather a mute point. The phrase is in English and used by the English so it's hardly going to be about the English, is it?

Shall I take offence at your generalisation that the English are a bunch of rioting hooligans? That is a racist comment.

I've never associated 'having a paddy' with the Irish, though I've never really thought about it. I always use 'having a tantrum' and DH favours 'throwing his/her toys out of the pram'. Also like 'you appear to have anger management issues'.

have never ever equated the act of having a paddy to the slang for an irish person. I think you are over thinking it TBH

Like worra says, noone realy knows the origin.

Dp is Irish and referes to ds as having a paddy when he tantrums. A thread came up a few months ago and I asked him if he thought it was racest.

His answer was no, the Irish don't generally throw themselves on the floor kicking and screaming when they don't get their own way.

lol outraged. and most irish people arent agressive drunks having "paddys" everywhere.

because I have never heard of it before and have seen it on a predominately english forum I am assuming (perhaps wrongly) it is an english saying.

The word "paddy" is derived from the Malay word padi meaning rice plant.

I can't find it on Google, but how far the farmers could throw their knives, dictated how much of the paddy field's crops they could tend/own.

It's just one of many theories though.

Taken from one web site:
"Throwing a paddy, is a phrase of American origin that means exploding in anger over something or a situation."

The police vans were called Paddy wagons, nothing to do with the Irish, or Paddy Fields.

There have been rioting throughout history and in every contry, same with football, so i don't know why the British are being singled out, tbh.

Can i also point out that the anniversary of Hilsborough is coming up, so can we knock off the "English football hooligan" threads?