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 :)

And I did Irish history at school and I'm 68. It seems to have disappeared from the curriculum in recent years, sadly.

Surely it's a discussion not a row.

It's not a phrase I use - local term is having a Benny.

Dublin born friend uses it often to describe her granddaughter. I must ask her if she knows some consider it offensive.

I’m Irish (well, I have Irish parents) and I don’t find it offensive. I wouldn’t even notice it and had no idea it was derogatory.

Because they happen to use a word with a different meaning!

In Ireland, Paddy is an abbreviation of Patrick eg Paddy's day for St Patrick's day etc .
However the phrase 'throwing a paddy' is an English one and as explained above refers to the supposed uncontrolled savagery of the Irish as perceived by the English in times past. In this sense it is an unacceptable and offensive use of word paddy.

Well as we now know, context is irrelevant. Words are either offensive ... or not.

That's correct.
I doubt if many people know that.

Well I've just looked in the Cambridge dictionary which lists the first meaning of the word as "a very angry state" and the second meaning of the word as "an offensive word for an Irish person".

Are you sure it's right to conflate those two meanings? Like I said, I've never associated "having a paddy" (with a lower case p) as being anything to do with Ireland despite my mother being Irish. I obviously wouldn't use the term "Paddy" (with an upper case P as it's short for Patrick) to refer offensively to an Irishman.

Knowing the meaning and context do you now find it offensive? I mean it implies you are a savage....

I didn't suggest it's comparable. I must say I'm not wild about the brand name, personally, though.

This and 'Irish Twins' pisses me off. People trying to make their non-twins special!

We're going to have no interesting sayings soon.

Let's just sanitise everything to within an inch of its life. Yay.

I don't like it
Also really dislike "Irish twins"

I'm Irish. I don't use the term but I don't find it offensive. I don't think people using it are showing that they are "anti Irish". Context is important. Generally, anti-Irish sentiment is extremely low worldwide so while historically the Irish were an oppressed class, I don't think they are anymore. I've never felt disadvantaged by being Irish, including living in the UK. Since Brexit, most of my English friends are envious of my passport and the ease/freedom I have to travel in Europe.

I'm Irish, living in Ireland. I'm assuming it's a uniquely british phrase because I had never heard it before joining mumsnet. I had to Google the meaning initially to see if it meant what I suspected it did. I find it pretty offensive.

Apologies, I meant to quote the post you had quoted.

More precisely the pale was the fence surrounding said enclave. We still use paling(s).

I had no idea that 'Paddy' had anything to do with Irish people.

It's not a term often heard these days- probably just as well. Never used it personally.

I'm Irish, I find it offensive. I pass unfavourable judgement on anyone who uses it.

100% this.

I regularly see them in Belfast and I cringe every time. Not sure if they’re trying to get the American tourist market.
I think they’re horrible.

Thank you @BarbaraHoward I am sick of raising it with posters. It simply isn't acceptable and ignorance is no excuse

If there is something specific we can do to help you with this, shout.

Gosh, is that offensive too? My dad and his elder brother always joked they were Irish twins as they were 10 months apart. And Irish. It’s just a jokey term, surely?

How many Irish posters (Irish living in Ireland) ever heard the term before mumsnet?
I, like most others I suspect, never heard it before coming on here, and I have to say I found it very demeaning to come across the phrase and realise that we are the butt of a joke - even if the majority of people using it don't mean it that way.
It just smacks of pure ignorance

I live in Dublin and only heard 'having a paddy' here on Mumsnet . Definitely not widely used here so I assume just in the UK ?