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?

Funnily enough, the "friendly banter" that I and many other Irish people endured in England in the 80's was not in any way friendly or banter but was always described as such when we objected to it.

Do you really believe that not intending offence makes it ok? When I was a child, the rhyme eenie, meanie, miney, mo included the n word. I grew up hearing it. I have not continued using it and nobody I know continues to use it because we are not assholes.

Yes, the phrase is offensive. Yes, it is racist by most legal definitions which include ethnicity in the definition of racism.

Same! I've never even thought about it and feel so stupid now. Thanks for the info and glad I know now.

… if I worked with someone making comments like this I’d just think they were a total nob.. it’s an obv link to what other posters have said about derogatory attitudes to Irish being thick/ backward etc.. you wouldn't get away with that in my work place.

Back in the day people did used to say that and all sorts of other things that most reasonable people wouldn't consider acceptable now.

Are you replying to me or someone else? Obviously a tantrum isn’t a compliment, neither is a huff (if that offends someone too I’d love to
no who?). I’d never realised having a paddy was aimed at Irish people so I was trying to understand why it’s as offensive as implying Irish people as stupid, it doesn’t use the word Irish. Pointless asking questions on here though if people are just going to be rude to those just trying to understand so they don’t use these terms. Someone else mentioned nick nack paddy wack, I’ve no clue what that even means or why it’s offensive but I won’t ask.

@BassoContinuo bugger is one of my favourite words!

I grew up with the n word in eenie meanie. I didn't even realise because I didn't know what the n word was back then. I had a very sheltered childhood in many ways.

Xenophobic. I’m half Irish and would have pulled her up on that.

I am half Irish and regularly say ‘it’s a bit Irish’ Maybe your colleague has Irish roots? PS who cares, we all know Irish are the best!

@TeaKitten ok

Paddy is an Irish "nickname"

Paddy is a tantrum and loss of temper

Having a paddy assumes Irish people can't hold their temper.

Do you understand now?

I'm half Irish and I think it's too woke and soon no one will be able to say anything.

And I explained it was a equal slur and asked if you thought a tantrum was a compliment. You've said you don't, so you now see why it is offensive. Paddy etc is equivalent to the word Irish in this case. I wasn't being rude to you in the slightest, I gave you an example that you now hopefully understand

Yes, it's offensive and racist, referring to a nationality in a derogatory manner.

It’s racist . There was a time when houses for rent in this country said no blacks , no dogs and no Irish . All unacceptable . Can’t believe a few pp are dismissing it as banter

Bloody hell. Do the TV people know about this?

When you reach the tipping pointt* in a situation, you have reached the point at which "a change or an effect cannot be stopped." This seems benign enough, but the phrase was used in the '50s and '60s to reference the tendency for white families to move out of a neighborhood once it had been taken over by an African American majority.

I've gone down a rabbit hole now!

Totally unacceptable. No excuses for it. She has probably never thought about what she is saying, but it is not ok.

Yep, it's xenophobic. It's discriminatory as it's based on a dumb stereotype.

Not on!

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/9

You're welcome.

I thought it was just a word that was synonymous with tantrum. It sounds to me like a small child stamping their feet. It isn’t unusual not to know the origin of a word and connecting paddy to Patrick to Irish is quite the leap if you don’t already know.

Yeah that makes sense. I’ve not really come across paddy as an Irish nickname, obviously I’ve come across st Patrick with Irish culture but I’ve never heard it as an Irish nickname. So yeah I can see that suggesting Irish people can’t hold their temper is as offensive as suggesting they are stupid. I wasn’t challenging that it was offensive I was just wondering why as I couldn’t automatically see it.

Having a paddy is not something I’d have said anyway but I’d just not made the connection, it’s just like tantrum, huff, strop. You learn something new everyday!

Agreed! This thread has been quite useful (asides from a little bit of sneering).

Yes, it is an ethnicity and a Nationality.

I’m Irish and I use this term as a joke to mean something that makes no sense. Not offensive unless it was meant to offend.

I’m from Northern Ireland. I have never heard of “that’s Irish” or whatever you mean in your OP but I wouldn’t take it as bad.

i have heard of throwing a Paddy and it’s not offensive it’s just a saying ffs.

This is not that uncommon and comments like that are accepted as the norm in England and general tolerated. They do it because it's acceptable xenophobia they're allowed to express (as anything else might get them social ostracised or sacked in many workplaces today).

I've experienced English people remarking that I'm 'from where the fanatics are all from' upon first meeting me (I was a new member of staff).....which is lovely isn't it. I actually laughed at that because it was so offensive.

Remarks that Welsh people do this or that (because know, stealing is what we do), that I wouldn't know about this or that (because I'm from Wales after all) , and blatant disrespect & remarks about my language in an attempt to show off and belittle me in front of multiple colleagues.

That last one was in an incredibly young, 'woke' workplace as well.

Being Irish ☘️ s awesome yeah sone xenophobia comments but Irish is lush xx don’t fuck with the Irish xx