Colleague said something was a bit Irish

[0scon]

Something that hadn't been planned properly, she said it was a bit Irish and laughed.
Is that not quite racist? Or am I being too woke?

I havent heard that phrase for a long time thank goodness. It;s ignorant.

Last time I heard it was aTV commentator and he had to aplogise.

How to miss the point.

There's a very old and worn out stereotype that the Irish are thick or stupid. That is why people might find it offensive used in this context because it can only be derogatory. Be as autistic as you like, but you need to be Irish to get it.

And he didn't mean to be offensive! Outrageous, isn't it? There are still some people who think very badly of the Irish yet I find the hate mongers easier to deal with than people who throw this shit around without even thinking about it and then rush to tell me how great they think the Irish are. Ah, well.

I used to hear that phrase growing up in Ireland from my parents. I think it was a kinda self deprecating thing to do. I didn't like it then and wouldn't like it now if I heard it.

@MaryDroppings be as autistic as you like? Really? Can you hear yourself?
Be as Irish as you like!

I’m Irish, it’s a standard saying here about being cheeky (in a good or bad way) but not really intended to be offensive in my experience. I say it myself when someone takes more cake than they should, or the last brownie type scenarios

Isn't having a paddy having a temper tantrum?

I wonder if it's like a PP said though, you can say it because you are Irish. I work with people who have Asian heritage and they will talk about being on "Indian time" when they are late, but I wouldn't dream of saying something like that and not expecting it to be offensive.

I'm Irish and in my 46 years living here in Ireland on both sides of the country I have never ever heard anyone use it. I do find it offensive due to its obvious origins.

I was home at Christmas and I can’t tell you the number of people who brought up the shit show that is The Hospital. It being a bit Irish may or may not have been mentioned more than once.

Anyway.. IMO fine in Ireland/among Irish people, not fine in other contexts. Certainly not in the UK.

Why do you allow it to offend you? You choose what offends you and what doesn't.

I'm Irish and couldn't give two hoots

It's covered by the same section of the Equality Act 2010 as race, so "race can mean your colour, or your nationality (including your citizenship). It can also mean your ethnic or national origins".

Just ask her to explain, as you don't get it.......

Watch her squirm.

Yes. It was a bog standard phrase as a child.

I assume it's referring to Irish people having a temper? 🤷

What about nick back, paddy whack, give the dog a bone?

To be fair my Irish grandmother regularly called my Irish grandfather a 'thick mick' too. Told grandchildren off for having a "Paddy" and told them they were being very Irish if they did something silly. Female grandchildren would be called a trollop too, which bothered me more so perhaps it's an age thing or where they were from or maybe the just weren't very nice who knows but various phrases and proverbs carried on down the generations.

I suppose I've never used those terms outside of my family setting but then I'd never use "bejesus begorrah" Either and we all say that at home as its a phrase my grandparents / dad uses frequently so I guess it's home language and outside home language

Oh no, I say "having a paddy" for throwing a tantrum. I never realised it was offensive or had anything to do with being Irish!!

I had no idea that's what "having a paddy" referred to, and I am mortified to think I may have said this and come across as offensive. I just thought it meant to have a tantrum, and I made no link at all with an Irish stereotype 😳!

I said the same the other day about us not having lights on the motorway (M1) and I am Irish living in Ireland and used it in a self deprecating way but not a lot offends me anyway.

Not sure why autism was brought into things but if it helps I have autism too. Still not offended.

I had no idea about the paddy reference. My mum says it in reference to DS throwing tantrums (and she lives with an Irish man and he's never mentioned it either!)

thankyou to PP I'll let her know 😲😲

I've not heard that phrase in years, and that's a good thing.

Not have I heard someone say something is all Greek to me. I heard that more as a child/young person than anything to do with Irish people. Apart from having a paddy. I didn't know until mumsnet that it was offensive nor the origin of the saying. I don't use it now.

I bet there are many, many phrases in use that people are unaware of the origins of. Please put that into a grammatically better sentence! I'm tired and can't once we know they are offensive though we should stop using them.

What did pp who didn't realise having a paddy think it meant or came from?

Is being Irish an ethnicity? Surely it is just a nationality, in the same way as being French or Hungarian?

I genuinely never thought about it!

I've never heard that saying before but it's pretty obvious what it means.

Irish twins however was something I never heard of or what it meant when I saw it on mumsnet a while back. Had to Google it.

Then that probably why you've never heard anyone say it to you.