Irish posters - "having a paddy"

[BarbaraHoward]

Irish posters - can I canvas your opinions on the use of "having a paddy" to mean "having a tantrum"? I've been having a bit of back and forth (well, plenty of forth not much back in truth) with MNHQ over the past day or two and I want to check that I'm not going against the majority view here.

IMO, the phrase is awful, and plainly anti Irish. I know most people using it aren't doing so to slag Irish people off, but the phrase is still awful IMO.

I've been here a long time, and reported the phrase more than I can remember. Usually, it's just deleted right away. Raising it on a thread always derails it as people just go on the offensive.

I reported it yesterday and got the immediate email that it was being checked out, but the post stayed up for hours despite a follow up email, another post and a thread in Site Stuff. It was then edited rather than deleted, which I thought was the norm for offensive language. I reported another use this morning and it's still up.

What are your views? Is this a fight worth having with MNHQ or am I out of step with the majority of Irish posters on here?

Thanks :)

Bad news, 20 for first 5 every other one. I am convinced it's a saving plan for the braces! 😁

@Andoutcomethewolves 😂

Anyone that had to suffer the humiliation of being the butt of ' Irish jokes' would find it offensive. Words like Paddy and it's different add one have been used as an insult for generations. Those who claim to be Irish and have used it themselves to 'join in' are equally as bad. Those who.havent experienced the word used in a derogatory way are lucky but shouldn't denigrate or belittle those who are offended. Just because you, your Dad, your brother or third cousin twice removed don't find it offensive doesn't not mean it's acceptable to most. I find it difficult when some try to justify or excuse it's use.
I love the name Paddy and if I had a son that would be his name.
BTW I'm glad Paddywagon have reclaimed the term. See them on the road daily and it now gives a completely different picture.

Paddy is a brilliant name. My favourite uncle . Definitely it mustn’t be used in an abusive way . I’d like to see a resurgence of the name - for me it has lovely affectionate associations

I really don't care about Paddy or Paddy's Day being used in the U.K. but "having a paddy" is different because it's implying that Irish people have uncontrollable tempers which given we're the second most peaceful country in the world is blatantly wrong!

Yet again I'm glad I crossed the border - £1 per tooth here. Come for the property prices, stay for the stingy tooth fairy.

Mine got €2 per tooth in ROI not so long ago. Tooth fairies are obviously fairly stingy where I am too😂Maybe city tooth fairies are richer? But it was always a coin wasn’t it?😅

Culchie tooth fairies have an upper limit of €2

Aye but I'm from South County Dublin, it's probably €50 a tooth and a car for the last one.

Does that still count when the recipient is 41 years old?? 😅

Definitely 😂

Naice north Dublin 😉

Trust me if I could I would. Currently supporting my dentist second holiday home 🤦‍♀️

Yes. I'm married to a Scottish traveller.
The racism I see on here towards travellers is dreadful.

Agreed. Also (in England, don't know about elsewhere in the UK), it's bound up with anti-Irish prejudice, in that a minority of people can't seem to distinguish between Irish people and Irish Travellers.

When I moved out of London to a village just outside a midlands city, 'Irishness' in the eyes of some of my new neighbours and acquaintances seemed to consist of (1) being in the IRA or at least an IRA sympathiser and/or (2) scamming pensioners out of money for tarmac-ing their driveways and/or (3) participants in My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.

(Sorry, late reply - I don't seem to have my notifications set up right!)

Fragrant is tricky; there are a lot of contexts in which it can be a compliment but it also has a history in Section 38-era UK of being used to out gay men; referring to a person as "fragrant" means s/he's gay/lesbian and people don't know it or s/he's gay/lesbian and pretends not to be. I sometimes see it used, including here, to mean someone who seems "too" invested in LGBT+ rights - e.g., "the fragrant Joanna Cherry". Maybe you met her and she smells great and that was the most important thing you took away from the meeting; in that case I guess it could be OK.

Gyp is sometimes used to mean to cheat or to swindle - "You paid that much for a dozen eggs? You got gypped." You're absolutely right that "gyp" or "jip" to mean pain or discomfort when you've been hurt is unrelated.

Hysterical stems from a deep and long-standing belief that women act irrationally because of their sex-based anatomy. You can speak and write as you like, but I won't use it.

I never heard the expression "having a paddy" til I read about it on Mumsnet.
It's not used in the Republic Of Ireland afaik.

I've never heard it north or south, and never heard it in England.

Me2.
North of 70 years. First encountered on Mumsnet.

And of course MN doesn't care

Now now. They did eventually email me to tell me they were discussing it internally. I'm sure we'll hear back any day now. Any day now...

I miss Michael 🤣

Wtf

You must be new here if that surprises you.