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Do you consider the term 'throwing a paddy' to be a racist slur?

Alanna

I am a regular poster on a UK forum and debate is raging about this term there atm.
Before I moved to the UK I never really heard this phrase for describing a tantrum so I suspect it originated in the UK. I was wondering what the opinion is on here? I suspect the origin of this term stems from the opinion that the Irish over in the UK had a history of fighting and being physical but I could be totally wrong. I can't find the origin of it anywhere, so does anyone here know where it comes from, or care?

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pretty-in-pink

no, never heard before this year. that said im miss tolerent right now. if i was in a mood, or though it wsa being said to be derogratory, then id be pretty offended

so no mostly, but contextually, its a possibility

philstar

"throwing a paddy" isn't racist

but this is.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXq7JW436hs

Terry

Right.
From now on, whenever I see anyone acting the bollix, I'm going to refer to it as "acting like an Englishman at a football match".

ETA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_slurs#P
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/paddy?view=uk

latenia

philstar wrote:

"throwing a paddy" isn't racist

but this is.........

I'd never even heard about that before. It just proves exactly what I've been saying. I find it unbelievable that the BBC would show something characterising the Irish as stupid drunks in 2007. Why not do a sketch about a black guy with a massive cock? Or is that not within the realms of acceptability?
Again, it's this low-level, 'some of my best friends are paddies' style racism.

[Deleted User]

philstar wrote:

"throwing a paddy" isn't racist

but this is.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXq7JW436hs

Heh, I thought that was quite funny.

Hagar

The phrase "throwing a Paddy " was used by Phil Mitchell in Eastenders.
I'd guess that a popular show like that has it's script vetted for racist remarks. Trouble is nobody in England regards Anti-Irish remarks as racist because we are the same colour. There the similarity ends.Thankfully.

Fred I'm genuinely sorry your wife was racially abused, hopefully now that you live amongst us we will treat you and your wife with more dignity than those of us who live amongst you.

Terry

Myth wrote:

Heh, I thought that was quite funny.

Really?
I wasn't offended by it, but I didn't find it even remotely funny.
Each to their own, I suppose.

ejmaztec

latenia wrote:

I'd never even heard about that before. It just proves exactly what I've been saying. I find it unbelievable that the BBC would show something characterising the Irish as stupid drunks in 2007. Why not do a sketch about a black guy with a massive cock? Or is that not within the realms of acceptability?
Again, it's this low-level, 'some of my best friends are paddies' style racism.

I find Catherine Tate one of the most gut-churningly un-funny so-called comediennes on the planet.

But, even the mediocre Youtube sketch doesn't seem to me as if it's saying that Irish people are "Stupid Drunks". I think that she plays a character who is taking the pi** out of her superior in a feeble patronising kind of way. It would have been the same crap whatever accent she tried to imitate.

Racism is to do with colour, not nationality.

axer

ejmaztec wrote:

Racism is to do with colour, not nationality.

Im afraid that is incorrect.

[SIZE=-1]"A race is a distinct population of humans distinguished in some way from other humans. The most widely observed races are those based on skin color, facial features, ancestry, and genetics. Conceptions of race, as well as specific racial groupings, are often controversial due to their impact on social identity hence identity politics."[/SIZE]

Terry

ejmaztec wrote:

Racism is to do with colour, not nationality.

I beg to differ.

A few more links.
http://rsdb.org/search?q=irish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_slurs (CTRL + F and key in "Irish").

tuppence

This is from the Commision for Racial Equality and relates to the Race Relation Act which covers Britain
http://www.cre.gov.uk/legal/rra_discrimination.html

Capt'n Midnight

Terry wrote:

Right.
From now on, whenever I see anyone acting the bollix, I'm going to refer to it as "acting like an Englishman at a football match".

larger lout or squaddie have such positive connotations

Squaddie is an indian word :rolleyes: http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Squaddie

philstar

on the subject of things "paddywhackery"

do any of you people remember, an irish character on the Dick Emery Show...called Detective O'Thick ??

i tell ya catherine tate's Bernie was mild compared to that

The Bollox

Terry wrote:

Right.
From now on, whenever I see anyone acting the bollix, I'm going to refer to it as "acting like an Englishman at a football match"

hey HEY! that is racist! you are racist against the Bollox people! we are not English people! I'm taking this all the way to my member of Parlament!

OI! GUS!

wyk

I've always considered paddy jis another way to talk of the Irish. Never once considered it racist as there's no harm meant. But to me, throwing a paddy, sounds derogatory how the Brits are using it. I'm not a paddy for sure, but I find it offensive. Damn limeys!

Wez

KilbarrackBlows wrote:

For some reason i get really pissed off when i hear an english person
calling an irish guy a paddy or irish people paddy's i find it offensive.
Ive talked to british troops and some british people online or ran across them on some other sites and they use it in a derogatory way so i do find it racist :mad:

wyk

Terry wrote:

I beg to differ.

A few more links.
http://rsdb.org/search?q=irish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_slurs (CTRL + F and key in "Irish").

Yep. Y'all come visit the South here in the good ole US of A. We might not have invented racism, but we sure have made it into an art. In fact, there's places I can't go simply for my color(I'm a German/Cherokee/Japanese mix with a spritz of Dutch). And some places I literally have to change my speach to fit in, or the locals will treat me poorly.

I recall a restaurant visit in the ersatz with a friend of mine where a local couple there moved their table and glared at me. And I swear I even showered that day.

Wez

Fighting Irish

i couldn't care less, racism is a stupid bandwagon

Borneo Fnctn

Fratton Fred wrote:

Ireland is a far more racist country than England.

Are you for real?

Fratton Fred

axer wrote:

Im afraid that is incorrect.

[SIZE=-1]"A race is a distinct population of humans distinguished in some way from other humans. The most widely observed races are those based on skin color, facial features, ancestry, and genetics. Conceptions of race, as well as specific racial groupings, are often controversial due to their impact on social identity hence identity politics."[/SIZE]

so discriminating against Travellers is racist? but acceptable because they live in Ireland and are of Irish decent.

jackpalance wrote:

Are you for real?

take the above description of racism and read AH over the last few weeks.

Yes, I would say Ireland is more racist then England. Maybe not intentionally, but I believe it is.

Fratton Fred

Hagar wrote:

Trouble is nobody in England regards Anti-Irish remarks as racist because we are the same colour. There the similarity ends.Thankfully.

that's not true, people do consider it racist, but don't confuse it with banter which takes place alot and whilst maybe not acceptable, takes place a lot between the English, Scots and Welsh. Do you not recall Andy Murray being asked wo he will support in the world cup and relpying "Anyone England are playing"? The assumption is that people are big enough to participate and join in. Watch "Goodness Gracious Me" the Indian comedy show, that is hilarious and sends up the Indians and English perfectly. I believe that not to be racist, but there is alot of highlighting the differences between races.

Hagar wrote:

Fred I'm genuinely sorry your wife was racially abused, hopefully now that you live amongst us we will treat you and your wife with more dignity than those of us who live amongst you.

She wasn't racially abused, because it was meant as a racist statement and she did not take it as such. The only problem she has now is that she picked up an English accent whilst in England and often gets confused for being English, that does annoy her:D

Hagar

As is the "Kumars at No 42". There used to be a black/white comedy years ago called "Love they Neighbour". They never show repeats as it was so OTT.

Fratton Fred

Hagar wrote:

As is the "Kumars at No 42". There used to be a black/white comedy years ago called "Love they Neighbour". They never show repeats as it was so OTT.

Political correctness has come along way since Love they Neighbour. Thank god.

Dyr

I bet fratton freddy is english

Fratton Fred

Bambi wrote:

I bet fratton freddy is english

Let me ask Mummy and Daddy and I'll get back to you

Leeby

Is throwing a "mickey fit" the same as throwing a paddy? By which I mean, would anybody who found the term "throwing a paddy" find mickey fit offensive? Just curious...

ejmaztec

axer wrote:

Im afraid that is incorrect.

[SIZE=-1]"A race is a distinct population of humans distinguished in some way from other humans. The most widely observed races are those based on skin color, facial features, ancestry, and genetics. Conceptions of race, as well as specific racial groupings, are often controversial due to their impact on social identity hence identity politics."[/SIZE]

As a person of a particular nationality can be of a different colour, religion etc etc, I can’t see that prejudice towards a particular nationality can possibly be Racism. As the great Mister Spock would say – it’s not logical.

There may have been a definable Irish “Race?” a few thousand years ago, but I don’t think that applies anymore.

Weren’t Irish peoples supposed to have black hair, pale skin and blue eyes? Where does that put the blonde, ginger, brown-haired blow-ins with optional freckles?

On the whole, in these parts, we’re all members of a White Caucasian melting pot, this brew having apparently originated somewhere in Africa in the even more distant past.

axer

ejmaztec wrote:

As a person of a particular nationality can be of a different colour, religion etc etc, I can’t see that prejudice towards a particular nationality can possibly be Racism. As the great Mister Spock would say – it’s not logical.

There may have been a definable Irish “Race?” a few thousand years ago, but I don’t think that applies anymore.

Weren’t Irish peoples supposed to have black hair, pale skin and blue eyes? Where does that put the blonde, ginger, brown-haired blow-ins with optional freckles?

On the whole, in these parts, we’re all members of a White Caucasian melting pot, this brew having apparently originated somewhere in Africa in the even more distant past.

So are you telling me you can't tell the difference between and Irish and an English person?

Fratton Fred

axer wrote:

So are you telling me you can't tell the difference between and Irish and an English person?

That's simple.

Andy Townsend is Irish, Danny Murphy is Engish.

ejmaztec

axer wrote:

So are you telling me you can't tell the difference between and Irish and an English person?

One of my daughters was on a college trip to Paris with her pals. They asked a Frenchman for directions. He called them English Mother-f***ers and carried on walking.

I recently asked an old "English" lady what part of England she was from. She told me - Kilkenny. As she had left Ireland at the age of 16, her Irish accent had disappeared.

Perhaps you can enlighten me as to the difference between an Irish and an English person.

BKtje

take the above description of racism and read AH over the last few weeks

To be fair the "racists" here are much more vocal than the err "non racists" and i don't know if after hours can be taken as an accurate account of joe soap (sorry paddy o'neill?) on the street. I don't even believe that some spouting the "racist" crap on here really believe it, i guess many do it to be "hardmen" or to get a rise out of someone (aka light trolling).

To say that the english are the major contributors for racist slurs is a bit rich (as was suggested earlier in this thread). Every nation that comes into conflict with another will have a derogatory term for that nation and seeing as World War 2 was a MAJOR conflict i'm not sure if that example can really be used. All parties in the war had their own versions of derogatory language.

It't not just nations, every group that comes into conflct with another group will have a derogatory term for them. Police being called pig's etc, the list goes on.

To answer the question asked, no i don't consider it a racial slur (i'm sure it was at one stage). Also if people act a bit "strangely" after saying it i wouldn't automatically think that they meant to offend. In this political correctness gone mad society we live in, it's hard to know what is going to offend certain people and what isn't (except for the real obvious ones).

Just my two cents.

EDIT: The majority of the french i've met in france have been asshats. The majority of the french i've met outside of france have been very cool people. Maybe in france i'm mistaken as English?

EDIT2:

Perhaps you can enlighten me as to the difference between an Irish and an English person.

Differences in what way? Its obvious that English people are typically born in England or to English parents and vice versa, i assume you mean on a more genetic level however?