Happy St. Paddy's Day

I plan to watch The Quiet Man and recreate the scenes where John Wayne smacks Maureen O'hara with my wife.

Beantown's finest represent!

erin go fuck yourself

This is first St. Pat's where I haven't been able to get off of work. So of course, I hate everyone who's off today.

Don't let the Germanic last name fool you- I'm one-half drunken Mc. And I usually do St. Pat's proper.

In the words of Warren Ellis: If you want to celebrate St Pat's today, go eat a raw potato, build a house out of peat and get yourself shot by an Englishman.

We'll be having a rare night out to celebrate with friends & no doubt getting very drunk. Our friends are of Irish descent & I keep threatening to wear my England hat to wind them up, but I probably won't. Even an Englishman can show some respect to St. Paddy. After all, it's thanks to him I'm getting a night out!!

Hope all Chewers have a good one!

Thank you for spelling Paddy correctly.

What's wrong with calling it Paddy's Day? I and everyone I know have been calling it that for as long as I can remember.

Sláinte, everyone!

Are you Irish? You're about the only person I've ever seen get a sore pussy over "St Paddy's Day". Paddy is short for Patrick, and it was used in this inoffensive context.

Hell, I'm watching a documentary about the Irish mob on the History Channel and it's called Paddy Whacked.

I get a real strong feeling that you like to type that word. Alot. And, no, it is not analogous. Your favorite word has only one meaning, one use. It was coined for one specific purpose, whereas Paddy is a word that is used as a nickname, as Dick is to Richard, or Bill is to William, so quit reaching. Or maybe you're just looking for an excuse to slather racial slurs behind a cloak of indignation.

So any kid who sings "This Old Man" is racist. Enjoy!

Big round of applause for our latest moron, Binter.

Sure, maybe some people used the word as an offense, but you have to look at how it was used in this instance. Hmmm...Paddy is short for Patrick. Today is St. Patrick's Day. Sotrmin' used the alternate St. Paddy's Day...why, the racist bastard!

If it was, I don't know, St. Michael's Day and he referred to it was St. Paddy's (assuming "St. Michael" was Irish) then yeah, maybe you got a complaint, but that's not the case so just chill out.

Are we calling English people "Nigels" now? I confused.

Yeah, I suppose Paddy could be offensive in a certain context, but this isn't it. Anyway, Happy St. Pat's to everyone! See ya in the holding cell!

Nobody in the thread was calling us paddies until you brought it up! Seriously, this is embarrassing. Find some other way to assert your Irishness.

For the record people, as someone who has lived in Ireland all their life, it is nothing like using the word "nigger".

I'm sure there are far more insulting Irish names to use.

Like "Bono," for example.

Zing!

YOU TAKE THAT BACK.

(disclaimer: not a U2 fan)

Okay.

HAPPY ST. DRUNKEN MICK DAY!

Better?

Have you ever lived in Ireland, Binter? Are you living there now?

I have a hard time being lectured on propriety by a guy whose user text is "ba-dunk-a-dunk-dunk."

Isn't saying "St. Paddy's Day" using it as an ordinary forename and not as slang? In other words, I can call someone Paddy if their name is Patrick (or Padraig) and it's okay, but if I called them "you stupid Paddy," that's offensive.

It's the difference between calling someone Dick and "a dick."

Calling Irish "paddies" anyway is like us calling Americans "yanks" -- hackneyed and pretty inoffensive.

Then why are you up at 2:30 in the morning reenforcing the stereotype of the combative Irishman?

This real Irishman doesn't seem to be too offended.

Also short for Richard, you short-sighted arse.

And I think it's funny how no one here has labeled an Irishman as a "Paddy." Especially given the fact that the only use of the term was in reference to it's other, non-offensive use - abbreviation of Patrick. So go be a dick somewhere else. HEY! JohnShade may be around here somehwere - I'm sure you'll get along GREAT.

Happy St. Patrick's Day y'all.

Limey is racist according to Wikipedia, so I guess I'll have to start complaining when people call me that. Bloody Steven Soderbergh.

Oh for Christ's sake. From a semantic point of view, you're right, it's a racial slur, but just because it had offensive connotations 350-odd years ago doesn't mean it does now. The only reason you might get punched in a Dublin bar for saying it is because anyone who actually uses cheesy blanket terms like paddy or yank or limey just looks like the most ignorant kind of tourist and probably deserves it just for that.

Shut up, Leprechaun.

Funny, I knew quite a few Irish people before I moved over here & none of them ever got uptight at the use of "Paddy" around them. Similarly a Welsh friend of mine called "Taff". Never had a problem at all. I don't know, perhaps they were just a little more mature.

Where does "Binter" come from anyway? Is it like "I got kicked out of every pub I've binter because I pissed everyone off?"

My plans for the evening fell through due to this stupid ongoing leg pain I have, so I'm slamming some beer down at home while listening to some U2. That's my St. Paddy's night out!

Charlie, not cool on the Bono joke. Unless it's while Bono is wearing his silly hat! :-)

(disclaimer: A U2 fan)

Oh wow. Didn't you claim to be educated and culturally sensitive? Have you ever been to the states?

I used to get called a Pom when I lived in Australia. Big deal. I suppose some folks do have thinner skins than others though.

Wait, wait, wait... chocolate nignog? Do people actually say that?


"Did you see a sign out in front of my house that said dead chocolate nignog storage?"

I don't know. To me, that just doesn't have the same bite.

As interesting as all this has been may I just take a moment to once more wish everyone here, no matter who they are, or where they are from a very Happy Saint Patrick's Day.

Holy Shit. What an odd turn of events.

On this day last year, I was in Dublin. One hell of a party it was (especially since it is my birthday too). Something everyone should do if you have the opportunity.

Happy St. P day!

Either Johshade got a second log-in or the Mystery Douchebag site is down.

Boe, I bet you had a great time. Sounds like perfect timing to me! Kinda like being in Scotland for New Year.

I know I'm gonna get a call soon from a bar telling me how much fun I'm missing. Dammit. Must stay focused. Beer. Beer. Fridge is calling.....

I am home, drunk, and lamenting this day comes but once a year Happy St. Pat's y'all

I'm at home trying to get drunk. It's not bloody working!!!! As for the day coming but once a year, I just caught the end of Doctor Who on the Sci-Fi channel (wish I'd known it was on earlier) & I'm thinking for the purposes of drinking, I am now attempting to convince myself that time is irrelevant & the celebrating will be over when I'm drunk! Well, when I'm hungover is more like it.

If this post seems like gibberish then maybe the booze IS working!

Well i've has 3 rounds and a martini and need to be nappin'. I'd have stayed longer [and there was plenty reason to] but I gotta work in the morning at 12, so best I be gettin's as much sleep as possible, my stomach hurts.

Happy St. Patrick's day.

Well, I'm done for the night. Time for bed. And what's the best way to finish a disappointing night?

Hiccups. Bloody marvellous. Ugh, g'night all.

I honestly have no idea where this uproar over "Paddy" is coming from or why people think it is equivalent to the "N" word, because it simply isn't. Anyone who has been to Ireland has seen the ubiquitous betting chain called Paddypower. If that word was anywhere in the same league that wouldn't fly for a single day, let alone be around nearly every corner in Dublin.

Ade, it was great. I got to the parade about an hour early, so I could get a good spot, and even then the streets were already filling up. There was this elderly couple, probably in their 70's, who had lived in Dublin their entire lives in front of me, and the lady insisted that I move in front of her to get a better view. We struck up a conversation, and she told me all about how much Dublin has changed, how all three of her sons had left Ireland to work and her husband thought they should all move back with their families and live with them, which she thought was kind of silly. During the parade, there was a group of flag bearers carrying flags of various countries where the Irish had immigrated to (if I remember correctly). This included the Union Jack. She told me that five years before, if the Union Jack had been flown in the parade, it would have been torn down and burned. After the parade we said goodbye and everyone made a bee line for the various pubs along the road.

Dublin has really become an international city that will soon rival London, Paris and Berlin. The heart of the city is beautiful (the outskirts, coming in from the airport were a bit scary though). I didn't stay in Dublin the whole time. I made some trips out to New Grange, Tara Hill (someone please tell me they aren't still planning to run a highway through it), and out to the Wicklow Mountains. This was my first trip to Ireland, and I hope I'll be able to get back there sometime soon.

The tough thing is, a lot of people can't keep up with the cost of living. I have some dear friends who are having trouble coping. Still, a good thing overall. Love to visit again soon.

I really should try & visit Dublin sometime. It sounds great, but I've got to go back to some of my old haunts in England first although God knows when that'll be.

I managed to start today without a hangover but would you believe those friggin' hiccups are back again? Think I'd rather have the hangover! I did just hear that one of the friends we were supposed to go out with last night is really under the weather today. That makes me feel a lot better!!