Swearing, aibu?

[Ozwizard]

Ds is throwing a paddy! He wants to be able to use swearing whilst playing his Xbox. A boy in his Xbox party is having a row with ds and apparently this is how arguments are being played out by swearing at each other!! I am making ds look uncool by not letting him swear back so he looks like he is losing the argument! I do not like swearing and have never brought him up with it. I do not want him doing it, especially as when on Xbox he shouts anyway in the heat of the game! He's 13 and says that I should let him do it because of his age.

[CubicZirconiaBossyBabe]

so the origins of Paddy van is moot
because it's still too soon since Irish in England would regularly hear the likes of "go away Paddy" "no Paddies" "Just a Paddy" etc from English people..

I don't know it it'll ever be okay said with an English accent, but for now, it's not.

[Therealyellowwiggle]

Though to be fair we have no idea if the OPs accent is English.

[CubicZirconiaBossyBabe]

but I've only ever heard "throwing a paddy" from English people. It's not a phrase the irish use themselves (may be exceptions, but generally, no). Irish people use "Paddy" in other contexts, but not as a throw away term as used on here for behaving badly.

[CubicZirconiaBossyBabe]

I'm not sure my last post made sense :-D What I mean is, you might hear "Paddy" in various contexts in Ireland, but you're unlikely to hear "throwing a Paddy" in Ireland. For good reason. So it's a safe assumption that the OP shouldn't be useing it if the Irish don't use it themselves

[Topseyt]

Oh the irony!!


OP was complaining about her DS swearing and has been pulled up for using a potentially offensive term herself!!

I'll be honest and admit that I wouldn't have known the possible connotations myself either though.

[CubicZirconiaBossyBabe]

Tospyt, do you mean that you didn't know Paddy = Irish

or that you didn't think that "throwing a Paddy" for bad behaviour might be offensive?

[NeedACleverNN]

I didn't know that neither topsy to be entirely honest

[CubicZirconiaBossyBabe]

Which didn't you know?

Paddy for Irish?

or you knew that, but didn't think "throwing a paddy" would offend?

generally curious?

[CubicZirconiaBossyBabe]

genuinely

[NeedACleverNN]

I knew paddy was Irish but I never even considered throwing a paddy would be an Irish phrase.

To me it's just a phrase. Never heard anyone say it was a derogatory term

[CubicZirconiaBossyBabe]

But if you know that Paddy means Irish person. Then really it should have crossed your mind that "throwing a Paddy" to describe bad behaviour might touch a nerve. IMO.

I would understand a bit more if someone genuinely didn't know that Paddy by itself = Irish.

[NeedACleverNN]

Would never have crossed my line.
Seriously

To me Paddy is in Irish name

[NeedACleverNN]

I haven't got a clue?!

I know it's used to describe unacceptable behaviour but where it comes from, no idea

[CubicZirconiaBossyBabe]

To me Paddy is in Irish name

given that.. how could you then think "throwing a Paddy" to describe bad behaviour is not a slur on the Irish?

[NeedACleverNN]

Look I've already said I would never have matched the two.

Why would I?

I am so terribly sorry that I am that ignorant. I shall take myself out back and flog myself should I?

[CubicZirconiaBossyBabe]

because I would never in a million years say that my kids were "throwng a Mohammad" if they were tantruming.

I don't have to think that Mohammad by itself is offensive to at least get not to use it in that context.

[Topseyt]

Of course I know that Paddy can mean Irish. It can also be a man's name and is also the name of a brand of Irish whiskey.

I would not have known the potential connotations of the phrase "throwing a paddy" though. It isn't a phrase I have ever tended to use, but I wouldn't have batted an eyelid if I heard it from anyone else.

I tend to say "throwing a strop/hissy fit".

[NeedACleverNN]

Never knew the pale thing either btw

[Topseyt]

I hadn't realised where "beyond the pale" came from either, and nor, I suspect, would many who have ever used it.

I had simply never investigated it. Interesting, and you learn something new every day.