Is saying ‘having a paddy’ racist?

[PanickyBrum1]

I’m a new parent who posted for the first time on mumsnet recently after having a very tired and at times unreasonable panic about things. Some of the things I wrote were not fair and I rightly got picked up on them and some things that the community attacked me about I would stand by. But one thing I’m genuinely not sure whether I should feel bad for was being condemned for using the phrase ‘having a paddy’.

To give context I was describing my own behaviour and although I’m half Irish by blood, the whole Irish thing hadn’t even occurred to me.

I'm ignoring the GF.

Tell me again that it’s not a phrase reflective of Irish people

I'll tell you it's not a phrase reflective of Irish people, because until I read this thread, it never even occurred to me that there was a connection.

Having a paddy, hissy fit, temper tantrum etc - are just words to me. I never thought for one second it had anything to do with the Irish. Never, ever made the connection. I have Irish ancestry on my paternal grandmother's side and am Welsh on the other side - I don't have a racist bone in my body, and I have certainly used the word on occasions to mean a temper tantrum. Nothing else.

I'll tell you it's not a phrase reflective of Irish people, because until I read this thread, it never even occurred to me that there was a connection

Genuinely, if you’d never heard the N word before and didn’t know it was racist, but then it was explained to you, would you say the same thing?

I doubt it tbh.

You didn’t know it was offensive, you’ve been told that it is and why and you’re still denying that it is. Why?

Fontella.. I understand you hadn't heard it was reflective of Irish people.
But it is.
It is a negative phrase
Perhaps just words to you
You're not racist and don't mean offence if you say the phrase. I understand that.
The N word is just a word also. But again that word too has negative meaning.
Please take on board what an Irish person living in Ireland is asking . .. Please dont use the phrase, it's offensive.

I don't think I've ever had a post deleted before. I didn't think I was attacking anyone. I felt extremely belittled and dismissed on that previous thread though and I don't think there were any posts deleted on that

I prefer "pitch a fit" but I guess that may be offensive too 🤔

I'm epileptic and not offended. I say it myself.

Why did you bump this up again?

My mother in law is British, and she used to occasionally say my boy had a "paddy". I am not British / English is not my first language, so I had no idea it was considered racist/unacceptable in any way :o I never used it myself, as it doesn't make much sense to me, as I'm used to saying tantrum. How odd!

Ah, didn't mean grinning emoji, meant shocked!

Oh no! Sorry to revive a dead thread O.o

Neither was 'beyond the pale' which mumsnet has taught me is unacceptable

Why is "beyond the pale" unacceptable?

And I know the etymology of it, and what "the pale" was - but why is that expression unacceptable?