Irish
People from Ireland, an island in Northwestern Europe divided between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
| Term | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bog-Jumper | Refers to the many bogs in Ireland. | |
| Bog-trotter | Refers to the abundance of bogs in Ireland. | |
| Carrot Top | Refers to red hair, likened to the top of a carrot. | |
| Cat-lick | Mocking pronunciation of "Catholic." | |
| Clover | Clovers (shamrocks) are a symbol of Ireland. | |
| Clown | Applied to Irish people referencing the stereotype of Irish people as buffoonish, comedic, or not to be taken seriously, rooted in 19th-century anti-Irish sentiment. | |
| Coal-Cracker | Many Irish immigrants mined coal. | |
| Donkey | It was cheaper to hire an Irishman than a donkey in the Pennsylvania coal mining days of the 1800s. | |
| Drunk | Irish are stereotypically drunks. | |
| F.B.I. | Foreign Born Irish. | |
| Fenian | Originally referred to members of the Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish republican organization. Now used as a sectarian slur against Irish Catholics, particularly in Northern Ireland and Scotland. | |
| Fire Bush | Red hair. | |
| Fire Crotch | They have red hair. | |
| Frotch | See: Fire Crotch. | |
| Fumblin' Dublin | Known as a slur for drunk, unemployed Irish men, who are usually found under the influence outside Dublin's bars. | |
| Green | The Irish were once loosely called the "green race." | |
| Green Nigger | Mainly in U.S. cities with large Irish populations. Used to denote the Irish, whom many hold in the same regard as Black people. | |
| Harp | Used against Irish people. References the harp, the national symbol of Ireland, or possibly the Irish word for the Irish Gaelic language, connecting it to Irish identity. | |
| Hibe | Short for Hibernian (of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland or the Irish). | |
| Leprechaun | From the well-known old Irish myth of the chubby green-clad gnome (what happens when you mix Catholicism with paganism). Popularized in America by Lucky from the Lucky Charms cereal and St. Patrick's Day. | |
| Mackerel Snapper | Used against Irish Catholics and other Catholics. References the Catholic practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays and eating fish instead. | |
| Mead | The Irish are commonly drunk on mead and mead-derived alcohols. | |
| Mick/Mic/Mc | Many Irish surnames begin with "Mc" or "Mac." Many Irish are also named after the famed Michael Collins, making "Michael" ("Mick") a very common name. Not as derogatory as "Paddy." | |
| Mucker | Used in Boston because Irish immigrants could mostly only find work helping to fill in the Back Bay, which was at the time marsh and water. | |
| Narrow Back | The son or daughter of an Irish immigrant. | |
| Nina | Stands for "No Irish Need Apply" (from the days of the potato famine, when the Irish immigrated to the U.S. and nobody wanted to hire them). | |
| Paddy | Used mainly in Britain. Similar negative connotations to "nigger." Comes from St. Patrick and/or from the common Irish name Padraig. Also spelled "Patty." | |
| Paddy Wagon | References the stereotype of Irish immigrants, called Paddys (from the name Patrick), being frequently arrested and transported in police wagons. Now generally used as a neutral term for a police van. | |
| Plastic Paddy | Term used by the Irish for those who grew up in a foreign country (specifically the UK) and still identify as Irish. | |
| Pogue | Possibly from Irish Gaelic "póg mo thóin," meaning "kiss my arse." Could also refer to the Irish folk group The Pogues, who did popular traditional Irish songs. | |
| Pot-Licker | During the potato famine, they would lick their pots clean to get every last morsel of food. | |
| Potato Breath | The Irish are notorious for their love of the potato. | |
| Potato Head | The Irish grow potatoes. | |
| Potato Nigger | Because they eat lots of potatoes. | |
| Potato-Eater | Irish eat potatoes. Used in Gangs of New York. | |
| Proddy | Northern Irish Protestants. Shortened, diminutive form of Protestant. | |
| Provo | Shortened form of "Provisional Irish Republican Army (I.R.A.)," the most noted of the militant groups seeking to end British rule in Northern Ireland. | |
| Shamrock Nigger | Shamrocks represent Ireland's heritage. | |
| Shant | Poor Irish people. Derived from the shacks they lived in, the shanty. | |
| Shillelagh-Hugger | A shillelagh is a staff commonly used by the Irish. | |
| Sid | Small Irish Dick. Irishmen are proud of their manhood. | |
| Spud | The heavy influence of the potato in Ireland. | |
| Spudnigger | Irish/potato relationship. Also: "spudfucker." | |
| Taig | From the common Irish name "Tadhg." Used today as an insult against Catholics by the Loyalist community in Northern Ireland. | |
| Tater Tot | Irish child; plays on the stereotype that the Irish eat potatoes. | |
| Thick Mick | Commonly used in England, where Irish immigrants did much of the manual labor. "Thick" means stupid; "Mick" is an abbreviation of Michael, a common Irish Christian name. | |
| Tory | Bandit, from Tory Island, Ireland, a noted haven for bandits and pirates. Also a common slang term for a member of Canada's Conservative party. | |
| Turf-Cutter | Used against Irish people, referencing the traditional Irish practice of cutting peat or turf from bogs for use as fuel. Implies the Irish are rural and backward. | |
| White Nigger | Black people called Irish Americans this during the 1800s in retaliation for being called "Nagurs." |