There's a certain "sneakiness" about the Irish

philstar · 13-05-2010 07:31PM #1

Seriously isn't there, maybe we can't help it, its just part of our DNA dating back to our colonial past when we had to plot & scheme behind our oppressors backs.

Its just the fact that ive lived and worked in other countries > UK, Holland, France, Australia, USA and yes the people in those countries have there faults but at least they are alot more honest and upfront with you...but with the irish (alot of them not all) you don't know where you stand because we're so ....well.......two faced.

Latchy · 13-05-2010 07:33PM

The Cute Hoor springs to mind straight away

Duggy747 · 13-05-2010 07:35PM

I like you

<_<

>_>

*cough*Prick*cough*

:pac:

orourkeda · 13-05-2010 07:37PM

Sure the snakey heads on us.

MickShamrock · 13-05-2010 07:40PM

I totally concur.

stovelid · 13-05-2010 07:41PM

Janus! I never thought of it like that.

admiralofthefleet · 13-05-2010 07:41PM

Latchy wrote: »

The Cute Hoor springs to mind straight away

and the cavan bastard

IvySlayer · 13-05-2010 07:42PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

*cough*Prick*cough*

:pac:

*cough*

Amadán

billybigunz · 13-05-2010 07:46PM

Bit racist for After Hours. Post reported.

Latchy · 13-05-2010 07:46PM

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

and the cavan bastard

As bad as the Cork /West Clare Sleveen

ejmaztec · 13-05-2010 07:52PM

I wouldn't trust my Kerry neighbours as far as they can throw me.

Overheal · 13-05-2010 07:55PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dJznTAwLSY

Rented Mule · 13-05-2010 08:06PM

ejmaztec wrote: »

I wouldn't trust my Kerry neighbours as far as they can throw me.

Nice of them to give you a head start that way.

D-Generate · 13-05-2010 08:59PM

I wouldn't say we are sneaky, its just we like to pull a fast one on people. Besides drinking we are quite well known internationally (in Britain at least) for enjoying a spot of gambling and betting. It is bred in to us that to win you have to twist the odds in your favour and if that means pulling the wool over the others eyes then so be it!
If you make a bet with a Yank you can be guaranteed its going to be fair but make a bet with one of us and you better be certain that nothing underhanded is going to happen.

On a side note, the traveling community are certainly a bunch that are well adept to being crafty. Any group that will try and sell back to you your own gates certainly are the craftiest group in the world!

JONJO THE MISER · 13-05-2010 10:05PM

Irish sneaky? Please. If you want to see two faced people and sneaky people head to America not Ireland.

mrsdewinter · 13-05-2010 10:19PM

I wouldn't say we are sneaky. We just like to anticipate sneakiness in others. By not laying all our cards on the table up front. Nothing wrong with that

fryup · 13-05-2010 10:37PM

How dare!! anybody call us sneaky the cheek!!

blueser · 13-05-2010 10:47PM

philstar wrote: »

Seriously isn't there, maybe we can't help it, its just part of our DNA dating back to our colonial past when we had to plot & scheme behind our oppressors backs.

Its just the fact that ive lived and worked in other countries > UK, Holland, France, Australia, USA and yes the people in those countries have there faults but at least they are alot more honest and upfront with you...but with the irish (alot of them not all) you don't know where you stand because we're so ....well.......two faced.

I'm English (yes, I know; it's a heavy cross to bear!), and to a point I would agree with you. However, to say that inhabitants of the said other countries are generally more honest and upfront may be taking things a bit far. Where I come from (sunny Manchester!), we have more than our fair share of devious/sneaky/conniving (choose your adjective!) pondlife. Every country has 'em; there's no reason why Ireland would be any different. You're just more aware of them here due to the fact that you're living amongst them.

PS. Sorry about all the brackets!

molloyjazz · 13-05-2010 10:50PM

Apparently were right cúnts to our own as well... i remember my grandad telling me about when he worked construction in London back in the day.. he said the worse type of foreman/boss you could have beening Irish, was another Irish man!

InkSlinger67 · 13-05-2010 10:58PM

fryup wrote: »

How dare!! anybody call us sneaky the cheek!!

Ah yes, the master!

When the masses ask themselves "What Would Jesus Do?", I ask "What Would CJ Do?"

Although he was a member of a now inept political party, you do have to admire the craft in the man's deviousness

ejmaztec · 13-05-2010 11:01PM

Rented Mule wrote: »

Nice of them to give you a head start that way.

It lulls them into a false sense of security, and they don't find out until it's too late, that I've also got the sneaky-gene:pac:

pwd · 13-05-2010 11:05PM

Sneaky in a secretive mischievous likes-to-play-dumb kinda obvious way. Nation of chancers really.

Plenty of nations are far sneakier. Less obvious about it. Might not have as much experience reading them too of course. I could name several, but I won't. Much more pc to name some nationalities that seem more direct/up-front: English, Welsh, German, Dutch, maybe the French. We probably seem sneakier than we are because we have some very straight-forward neighbours.

starbelgrade · 13-05-2010 11:26PM

D-Generate wrote: »

I wouldn't say we are sneaky, its just we like to pull a fast one on people. Besides drinking we are quite well known internationally (in Britain at least) for enjoying a spot of gambling and betting. It is bred in to us that to win you have to twist the odds in your favour and if that means pulling the wool over the others eyes then so be it!
If you make a bet with a Yank you can be guaranteed its going to be fair but make a bet with one of us and you better be certain that nothing underhanded is going to happen.

I've a wee story that illustrates your point....

When I was a young lad, I used to work for the summers in the warehouse where my dad worked. The company supplied plants, seeds etc to shops around the country & they had a retail shop on Mary Street in Dublin.

Every second day or so, the retail shop would ring in an order to the warehouse to bring in stuff to stock the shelves, so we'd load up the van & I'd go with my dad to help him unload the stuff & stock the shelves. (I say "help", but I did all the lifting!).

Anyhow, one day he asked me if I thought I could cycle from the warehouse in Phibsboro into the shop in town faster than he could drive there in the van. "A sinch", I said (knowing that it took 15 mins to drive there with the traffic & 5 mins tops on the bike).

"I bet you a fiver I beat you", he replied. "Sound I said - I'll even give you a 3 minute head start". So, off he went in the van. The other lads in the warehouse timed his head start & after 3 mins gave me the nod to get going....

Then came roars of laughter from them as I discovered that my oul man - the guy I looked up all my life - had sliced my back tyre open with a Stanley knife!!

10 minutes or so later, I got a call from my dad.. "Where are you son, I'm waiting for you here in the shop?" "But you sliced my tyre, Dad"...

To which he replied - "I was just teaching you a valuble lesson in life, son - there's no such thing as a sure bet!"

storm2811 · 13-05-2010 11:30PM

It's pronounced "shneeky"

shneeky...

mikom · 13-05-2010 11:33PM

philstar wrote: »

There's a certain "sneakiness" about the Irish

Its just the fact that ive lived and worked in other countries > UK, Holland, France, Australia, USA and yes the people in those countries have there faults but at least they are alot more honest and upfront with you.

Are we at the world cup?

Darlughda · 13-05-2010 11:35PM

philstar wrote: »

Seriously isn't there, maybe we can't help it, its just part of our DNA dating back to our colonial past when we had to plot & scheme behind our oppressors backs.

.

Actually, in fairness I think you may have hit the nail on the head there.

Even in the Irish language there are a lot of idioms and phrases that are all about saying stuff that you wouldn't get away with in English, and being able to say it out loud in language, or particular phrasing of hiberno-english that would not have easily been interpreted.

As the cultural stereotype of the Irish buffoon went in the 19th century, it would certainly have been easier to play that character, and be considered a bit of a foolish paddy could save your life if you were seriously plotting to burn the landlord's house down.

Even up to the pre-boom years in the early 90's there was still an attitude of 'sticking it to the man'; getting one over the employer or the boss was secretly commended and supported

Barna77 · 13-05-2010 11:42PM

Going to work every morning is like a meeting with the CIA, Mossad, Mi5 or KGB.

Plus all the bitching

opinion guy · 13-05-2010 11:47PM

Nah.
We're equally as sneaky as everyone else.

But what we are masters of is being indirect. Irish people are incapable of saying things in a direct and straight forward. Thus we can seem more sneaky if the other person doesn't understand indirect speak.

OP in those other countries people talk more directly. This is what you are noticing. But rest assured they are just as sneaky.

raah! · 13-05-2010 11:58PM

I don't know how accurate it is to attribute permanent and widespread genetic variation to a few hundred years of being colonised. It's easier to say it's a cultural thing.

I do agree though that it's often best not to let certain people know what you're getting up to. Particulalrly "the man"

. I like to be honest with friends and stuff though.

I remember we used to play a card game in school called beggar my neighbour. And the game was completely chance, unless you cheated, so it was essentially a game about cheating. I was great.

philstar · 14-05-2010 12:05AM

Barna77 wrote: »

Going to work every morning is like a meeting with the CIA, Mossad, Mi5 or KGB.

Plus all the bitching

bitching & backstabbing, ya i can relate to that:cool:

pwd · 14-05-2010 12:18AM

The nationalities that have been named as being the most direct are from some of the countries with the highest proportions of protestants, (with the exception of France I think). Coincidence?

There's a certain "sneakiness" about the Irish

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