# Is it true "Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day" ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 1, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434 "2003-03-01T19:34:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/21 "2003-03-02T16:22:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ace309 \* > \*\*Yes, everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day. > Also, everyone is gay on National Coming Out Day, just as a head’s up. \*\* And never the two shall meet. Bloody AOH. Jesus, I mean the queers get to march in Dublin, Cork, Galway etc, but not in NY? Tosspots, don’t get me started… ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/22 "2003-03-02T19:01:21Z")
In the U.S., I think the answer is simply, “everyone is _drunk_ on St. Patrick’s Day.” If you went around that day asking people what they know about the holiday, many people would probably say, “There really was a guy named St. Patrick?” ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/23 "2003-03-02T20:48:21Z")
I know a little bit of Gaelic… but what I do know I’m pretty durn sure is right. Except I missed the little thingy over the o’s. _Properly_ it looks like this: Póg mo thóin Though that’s kinda mean at us for laughing at the drunks toasting us back with this. So I should just stick with Sláinte. At present I am working on my accent when saying Pionta Guinness le do thoil. Though I doubt the bartenders will know exactly what I’m saying I bet I could get my point across. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/24 "2003-03-02T22:42:02Z")
I used to have a button I wore on March 17 that said “Do I LOOK Irish to you?”…Black hair, brown eyed Hispanic living in small ag town in Central California, I doubt if I look Irish and anyone who pinches me without my leave will draw back a bloody stump. Unless I like you… ---
**Author:** ![Slainte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Slainte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slainte)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/25 "2003-03-02T23:10:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Obsidian Flutterby \* > \*\* > Though that’s kinda mean at us for laughing at the drunks toasting us back with this. So I should just stick with Sláinte. > \*\* 😃 This is what I get for doing a vanity search. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/26 "2003-03-02T23:34:11Z")
LOL Poor Sláinte. It’s you’re fault for picking a name that is a cheer in Gaelic though. But I really do like the name. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/27 "2003-03-02T23:47:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cyn \* > **I used to have a button I wore on March 17 that said “Do I LOOK Irish to you?”…Black hair, brown eyed Hispanic living in small ag town in Central California…** Around here, there are plenty of people who fit that description but are still at least part-Irish. I think it has something to do with the Santa Fe Railway and all those Irish railroadmen. I used to know a family named O’Rourke that had nine children, all of them with Irish-flavored first names. About half the kids had red hair and freckles, and half of them had dark hair and perma-tans. I plan to be gay on St. Patrick’s Day and then Irish on National Coming Out Day. Just to be different. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/28 "2003-03-03T01:48:08Z")
I am. Most years on St. Patrick’s Day at least one stranger will look at my freckles and natural red highlights and comment that I must be Irish. I’ve always wanted to respond by saying, “Kitty O’Malley, please to meet you.” The rest of the year I’m just freckled, not-quite-redheaded, Russian/German and Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/29 "2003-03-03T02:34:28Z")
I would like to know who came up with the whole idea of pinching whoever doesn’t where green on St. Patrick’s Day, and personally pinch them until their bodies are black and blue. Green is _not_ a good color for me. Besides, I wear the four-leaf clover earrings on that one day a year. Shouldn’t that count for something? Alright, now that I have that out of my system, as to the OP: I think I’m part Irish. Personally, I don’t really care. Why does it matter who’s Irish? We celebrate it more here in the U.S. than in in Ireland! ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/30 "2003-03-03T02:52:15Z")
I guess it’s like the way we celebrate Black Pride days more in the US than in Africa, **monica**. Then Hallmark got its damn hands on it and turned it into the commercialized secular crapfest it is. You just know they have their greedy eyes set on Kwanzaa next. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/31 "2003-03-03T03:45:09Z")
Is it true “Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day” ? [Kent Brockman] Except for the gays and the Italians. [/KB] ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/32 "2003-03-03T04:09:38Z")
I’m somewhat Irish pretty much every day. It’s just that on St. Paddies day, I celebrate with a potato and a 6-pack of beer 😃 ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/33 "2003-03-03T04:10:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Obsidian Flutterby \* > \*\*I know a little bit of Gaelic… but what I do know I’m pretty durn sure is right. Except I missed the little thingy over the o’s. _Properly_ it looks like this: Póg mo thóin > > \*\* I bow to you’re greater Gaelic wisdom. But know what I need to know (as I think this is a useful phrase to have at one’s command) is should I continue to consider “pogue mahone” at least an accurate phonetic translation? Because Mike is right about Gaelic spelling and while I’ve figured out how to pronounce “Siobhan” I don’t know how to approach “pog mo thoin” (sorry, I’m not going to do the little thingys). ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/34 "2003-03-03T04:20:46Z")
betenoir: Talking to my roomie (who is Irish) I have learned that pogue mahone is considered a proper spelling in certain areas of Ireland. Also Póg mo thóin is pronounced exactly the same. Pogue mahoin is merely the phonetic version of how you say it. So if anyone wants to spell it like that I’m cool with it. But I like how the non-phonetic version looks when written. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![micilin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@micilin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micilin)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/35 "2003-03-03T14:44:24Z")
Your roomie’s off their cake **Butterfly** , ‘Pogue mahone’ is a transliteration of the Irish phrase ‘Pog mo thoin’ (insert fadas where required), and nowhere is it the proper spelling of any Irish words. It sounds the same because thats its job, to allow English speakers to approximate the Irish pronunciation. Jeepers, second Irish language post in a week, I’ve got issues: Damn you Synge Street CBS and every lame-o Irish teacher I was ever taught by there! From hell’s heart I stab at thee! ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/36 "2003-03-03T14:50:35Z")
They take St Patrick’s Day well on board here in New Zealand, where we still have both a strong irish heritage from our settlers, and a lot of folks who like to be “Irish” on that day. On another note, a Scots-descended friend of mine wished me happy St David’s Day for March 1st. T’is odd how we put so much more emphasis on the day of th’ green than that of the white saltire on blue. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/37 "2003-03-03T15:09:41Z")
feck it lads and lassies, go out and enjoy yourself regardless of your nationality. March 17th is a day to get toasted world wide, Us Irish just gave you are reason 😉 Irishgirl: > [@](#): > > mostly for their stated goal of a Marxist, Gaelic speaking united Ireland. You say that like its a bad thing 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/38 "2003-03-03T15:34:46Z")
I’m not! I really don’t approve of the glorification of drunkeness that this holiday has come to represent. Call me a prude, but it disgusts me. I make sure NOT to wear green on that day. I am not a big fan of bag pipes either. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/39 "2003-03-03T15:59:02Z")
Caricci, I take it you’ve never been to a Paddy’s day festival in Ireland then 😉 ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434/40 "2003-03-03T16:35:28Z")
Ice Wolf, isn’t St David Welsh? what with the leeks and daffodils and stuff? and St Andrew Scottish? or am i completely wrong? also Uileann (and i KNOW i havn’t spelt that right) pipes are IRISH. Bag Pipes are SCOTTISH. the former sound much nicer than the latter, and completely different… the way a church organ sounds different to a piano. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-everyones-irish-on-st-patricks-day/158434.md?page=3)