In The Name Of All That Is Holy, Especially St. Patrick…

Please, if you love me, don’t use the ill-begotten term “St. Patty.”

This year is the first year that I’ve noticed this on banners and ads and even, Saints Preserve Us, on greeting cards. There may be a Saint Patricia out there, and if there is and you want to give the old gal a nickname, then St. Patty would work just fine.

But Patrick was a man, and the nickname for Patrick is “Paddy.” In fact, Irishmen of all stripes are prone to being called “Paddy” in the same way my father and all his brothers when they emigrated to this country from Scotland were automatically nicknamed “Scotty.”

Just so we’re clear on this, “St. Pattie” won’t work, either. Unless you want to reduce my favorite saint of all time to ground chuck.

Have Mercy! And Erin Go Bragh!

Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 07:35 AM

Fallible Comments...

I am horrified. I just googled "St. Patty." Got 12,300,000 hits. Then I googled the correct term, "St. Paddy." Only half as many hits! BJ Hoff, if you happen to check in here, or any others of you who are crazy for the Irish, please help me out! Am I wrong about the differentiation between Paddy and Patty?
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 08:01 AM
Even more horrified now: If you google "St. Circular Ground Beef"-- oops I mean "St. Pattie"--there are half a million hits. But at the bottom of the first page, there's a message that says, "Did you mean St. Patty"? I can't take it anymore!
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 08:10 AM
Snickering at your comments.

:-)

Happy St. Paddy's! May good luck follow you wheresoever you may roam.
Posted by Jennifer on 03/17/06 at 08:46 AM
Jennifer--Your kind comment has had a calming effect on me. Thank you! Tee, hee.
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 08:57 AM
I don't like the "St. Patty's" or whatever any better than you do, Katy. I've heard several different excuses for this--and none gel as far as I'm concerned--but I think this probably originated with the (derogatory)nickname for Irish men: "Paddy." (My grandfather almost forgot he had a "real" name, so relentless was this nickname in his generation.) So many of the Irish men were (are) named "Patrick," and then of course the saint himself. Also, the Gaelic for "Patrick" is something like "Padraig." That's how the nicknae, "Paddy" began. During the 1800s and later, just about every Irishman in NY, Boston, and Philadelphia got stuck with "Paddy."

In some people's minds, it's perfectly all right to use "St. Paddy's Day" for St. Patrick's Day. I suspect they don't realize that "Paddy" (Americans tend to go with "Patty") is *not* a favorite word among the Irish (although you'll hear it used by some of them anyway).

There: that's more than you ever wanted to know. And let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy *St. Patrick's* Day!*

BJ
Posted by BJ on 03/17/06 at 09:46 AM
P.S. Katy: I meant to add that one of the best books ever on Irish immigration to Canada and America was written by Tom Gallagher--and he titled it: *Paddy's Lament."

BJ
Posted by BJ on 03/17/06 at 09:49 AM
Whew! I'm glad I stuck with "Paddy" on my blog today. I also mentioned your post, Katy!
Posted by Cindy Swanson on 03/17/06 at 11:36 AM
Thanks for seeing things my way, BJ! ;)
(Hey, everyone! BJ Hoff has written wonderful historical novels about our fair Ireland, which you owe it to your Irish selves to read!)

Yes, I agree that the Gaelic name "Padraig," with the "d" in it, is how the nickname Paddy would have come about.

Now, about those "paddy wagons." Some say they are called that because as everyone know, most of the drunks that get hauled off to jail are Irish! What????
Paddy wagons are called such because in Boston, New York, and Chicago back in the day (and even now, to a lesser extent) a huge percentage of cops were Irishmen. In fact, back when the signs on business doors read "No Irish Need Apply," becoming a cop was one of the few opportunities available to the Irish immigrant.

Thanks, BJ, for brightening my day! I appreciate your wealth of Irish lore.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you, as well.
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 11:37 AM
OK, I just read BJ's comments. I honestly never realized "Paddy" was derogatory. I learn something new every day (actually, it's pretty cool to be pushing 50 and still be able to say that!)
Posted by Cindy Swanson on 03/17/06 at 11:38 AM
BJ--Also thanks for referring me to Gallagher's book. I have heard of it, but haven't yet read it. It's off to Barnes and Noble I am, then....
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 11:39 AM
Cindy--Thank you for plugging my cause on your site! It's one thing to turn St. Patrick's Day into just another excuse to parade (oh, how my father rued the day Kansas City started their annual parade. He absolutely forbade us to go, saying if you're really Irish, you don't need to be proving it with foolishness), but when we can't even get the saint's gender right, well, that's pathetic. ;)

Here's my derogatory Paddy joke, Cindy:

An Englishmen is lost on the road in Ireland and stops to query an Irishman who's working on the road.

"Hey there, Paddy, can you direct me to Birmingham?"

"How did you know my name is Paddy?"

"I just guessed it."

"Well, then, you can guess your way to Birmingham."

:)

My understanding is that an Irishman doesn't object to being called Paddy if his name is actually Patrick. And some in this day might not find the nickname as derogatory as they did some years back.

However, I cannot imagine an Irishman tolerating being called "Patty"! Or, even worse, "Pattie." I'm pretty sure them's fightin' words....
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 11:52 AM
Of course, I told my joke wrong! The Englishman couldn't have been driving in Ireland and asking for directions to Birmingham. Doh! It must be that the Englishman was driving in England (or Scotland) and the Irishman was employed working on the road there. If I can't even tell an Irish joke right without twisting up the geography of things, who am I to get incensed about "St. Patty"?
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 12:06 PM
I couldn't resist so I Googled St. Patricia..

"St. Patricia according to legend, was of a noble and perhaps royal family in Constantinople who fled to Italy to escape marriage and became a virgin consecrated to God in Rome. She returned to constantinople, distributed her wealth to the poor, and then went back to Italy;, where she died soon after, at Naples. She is a patron of Naples, and like St. Januarius there, a vial believed to be filled with her blood reportedly liquefies thirteen hundred years after her death. Feast Aug. 25 "

"St. Patty never got a dinner" - the late Red Buttons.
Posted by Michael Main on 03/17/06 at 12:18 PM
So, it's official, people!!! August 25 is "St. Patty's Day"! Thank you to Michael Main for bolstering my belief that words mean things, and that Patty is a nickname for Patricia, not for Patrick...

Speaking of derogatory names: My maiden name, McKenna, is used interchangeably in a few Ulster counties (Monaghan and Armagh, for example) for the words hoodlum, hooligan, bandit, and gangsta. I mean gangster. ;)
I have an old newspaper article describing a theft in which the criminal had not yet been apprehended. The reporter referred to the fellow as "the McKenna." The nerve!!!

Man, my Irish is up today, huh? :)
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 12:35 PM
Hey! I'm not ground chuck!
Posted by Pattie on 03/17/06 at 03:25 PM
Pattie--Hee, hee! You know what, I even remembered how you spelled your name when I wrote that, and yet I persisted! Shame on me! Is your namesake St. Patricia? :)
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 05:06 PM
awww. (o: You're so sweet.

My parents on my father's side came over from Scotland also, and I even have a cousin named Paddy. We are all very Scotiish and Irish here.
Posted by Pattie on 03/17/06 at 09:33 PM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	In The Name Of All That Is Holy, Especially St. Patrick… Please, if you love me, don’t use the ill-begotten term “St. Patty.” This year is the first year that I’ve noticed this on banners and ads and even, Saints Preserve Us, on greeting cards. There may be a Saint Patricia out there, and if there is and you want to give the old gal a nickname, then St. Patty would work just fine. But Patrick was a man, and the nickname for Patrick is “Paddy.” In fact, Irishmen of all stripes are prone to being called “Paddy” in the same way my father and all his brothers when they emigrated to this country from Scotland were automatically nicknamed “Scotty.” Just so we’re clear on this, “St. Pattie” won’t work, either. Unless you want to reduce my favorite saint of all time to ground chuck. Have Mercy! And Erin Go Bragh! Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 07:35 AM Fallible Comments... I am horrified. I just googled "St. Patty." Got 12,300,000 hits. Then I googled the correct term, "St. Paddy." Only half as many hits! BJ Hoff, if you happen to check in here, or any others of you who are crazy for the Irish, please help me out! Am I wrong about the differentiation between Paddy and Patty? Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 08:01 AM Even more horrified now: If you google "St. Circular Ground Beef"-- oops I mean "St. Pattie"--there are half a million hits. But at the bottom of the first page, there's a message that says, "Did you mean St. Patty"? I can't take it anymore! Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 08:10 AM Snickering at your comments. :-) Happy St. Paddy's! May good luck follow you wheresoever you may roam. Posted by Jennifer on 03/17/06 at 08:46 AM Jennifer--Your kind comment has had a calming effect on me. Thank you! Tee, hee. Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 08:57 AM I don't like the "St. Patty's" or whatever any better than you do, Katy. I've heard several different excuses for this--and none gel as far as I'm concerned--but I think this probably originated with the (derogatory)nickname for Irish men: "Paddy." (My grandfather almost forgot he had a "real" name, so relentless was this nickname in his generation.) So many of the Irish men were (are) named "Patrick," and then of course the saint himself. Also, the Gaelic for "Patrick" is something like "Padraig." That's how the nicknae, "Paddy" began. During the 1800s and later, just about every Irishman in NY, Boston, and Philadelphia got stuck with "Paddy." In some people's minds, it's perfectly all right to use "St. Paddy's Day" for St. Patrick's Day. I suspect they don't realize that "Paddy" (Americans tend to go with "Patty") is not a favorite word among the Irish (although you'll hear it used by some of them anyway). There: that's more than you ever wanted to know. And let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy St. Patrick's Day!* BJ Posted by BJ on 03/17/06 at 09:46 AM P.S. Katy: I meant to add that one of the best books ever on Irish immigration to Canada and America was written by Tom Gallagher--and he titled it: *Paddy's Lament." BJ Posted by BJ on 03/17/06 at 09:49 AM Whew! I'm glad I stuck with "Paddy" on my blog today. I also mentioned your post, Katy! Posted by Cindy Swanson on 03/17/06 at 11:36 AM Thanks for seeing things my way, BJ! ;) (Hey, everyone! BJ Hoff has written wonderful historical novels about our fair Ireland, which you owe it to your Irish selves to read!) Yes, I agree that the Gaelic name "Padraig," with the "d" in it, is how the nickname Paddy would have come about. Now, about those "paddy wagons." Some say they are called that because as everyone know, most of the drunks that get hauled off to jail are Irish! What???? Paddy wagons are called such because in Boston, New York, and Chicago back in the day (and even now, to a lesser extent) a huge percentage of cops were Irishmen. In fact, back when the signs on business doors read "No Irish Need Apply," becoming a cop was one of the few opportunities available to the Irish immigrant. Thanks, BJ, for brightening my day! I appreciate your wealth of Irish lore. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you, as well. Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 11:37 AM OK, I just read BJ's comments. I honestly never realized "Paddy" was derogatory. I learn something new every day (actually, it's pretty cool to be pushing 50 and still be able to say that!) Posted by Cindy Swanson on 03/17/06 at 11:38 AM BJ--Also thanks for referring me to Gallagher's book. I have heard of it, but haven't yet read it. It's off to Barnes and Noble I am, then.... Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 11:39 AM Cindy--Thank you for plugging my cause on your site! It's one thing to turn St. Patrick's Day into just another excuse to parade (oh, how my father rued the day Kansas City started their annual parade. He absolutely forbade us to go, saying if you're really Irish, you don't need to be proving it with foolishness), but when we can't even get the saint's gender right, well, that's pathetic. ;) Here's my derogatory Paddy joke, Cindy: An Englishmen is lost on the road in Ireland and stops to query an Irishman who's working on the road. "Hey there, Paddy, can you direct me to Birmingham?" "How did you know my name is Paddy?" "I just guessed it." "Well, then, you can guess your way to Birmingham." :) My understanding is that an Irishman doesn't object to being called Paddy if his name is actually Patrick. And some in this day might not find the nickname as derogatory as they did some years back. However, I cannot imagine an Irishman tolerating being called "Patty"! Or, even worse, "Pattie." I'm pretty sure them's fightin' words.... Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 11:52 AM Of course, I told my joke wrong! The Englishman couldn't have been driving in Ireland and asking for directions to Birmingham. Doh! It must be that the Englishman was driving in England (or Scotland) and the Irishman was employed working on the road there. If I can't even tell an Irish joke right without twisting up the geography of things, who am I to get incensed about "St. Patty"? Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 12:06 PM I couldn't resist so I Googled St. Patricia.. "St. Patricia according to legend, was of a noble and perhaps royal family in Constantinople who fled to Italy to escape marriage and became a virgin consecrated to God in Rome. She returned to constantinople, distributed her wealth to the poor, and then went back to Italy;, where she died soon after, at Naples. She is a patron of Naples, and like St. Januarius there, a vial believed to be filled with her blood reportedly liquefies thirteen hundred years after her death. Feast Aug. 25 " "St. Patty never got a dinner" - the late Red Buttons. Posted by Michael Main on 03/17/06 at 12:18 PM So, it's official, people!!! August 25 is "St. Patty's Day"! Thank you to Michael Main for bolstering my belief that words mean things, and that Patty is a nickname for Patricia, not for Patrick... Speaking of derogatory names: My maiden name, McKenna, is used interchangeably in a few Ulster counties (Monaghan and Armagh, for example) for the words hoodlum, hooligan, bandit, and gangsta. I mean gangster. ;) I have an old newspaper article describing a theft in which the criminal had not yet been apprehended. The reporter referred to the fellow as "the McKenna." The nerve!!! Man, my Irish is up today, huh? :) Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 12:35 PM Hey! I'm not ground chuck! Posted by Pattie on 03/17/06 at 03:25 PM Pattie--Hee, hee! You know what, I even remembered how you spelled your name when I wrote that, and yet I persisted! Shame on me! Is your namesake St. Patricia? :) Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 05:06 PM awww. (o: You're so sweet. My parents on my father's side came over from Scotland also, and I even have a cousin named Paddy. We are all very Scotiish and Irish here. Posted by Pattie on 03/17/06 at 09:33 PM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: Me, An Irish Princess? Say It Isn't So! Previous entry: Leave Of Absence << Back to main


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In The Name Of All That Is Holy, Especially St. Patrick…

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri