Paddy is short for St. Patrick and a derogatory reference to Irish.

A Paddy wagon is the police wagon that took away the druken Irish -- thus a Paddy Wagon.

It's St Paddy's, I'm just sayin. Patty is short for Patricia.

I have known the origins, don't care, and will continue to use it.

I will also continue to use the phrase red-headed step child, call someone a bastard, eat Quaker Oats, enjoy a Three Musketeers bar, and drink beer on St. Patty's day.

Do we have them here? Do we ever. They crawl out of the cracks in Northern Virginia when the weather gets warm. Look for people with a hard-to-place ethnicity, holding cardboard signs that they need help and food, in supermarket parking lots, church parking lots, Metro stops.

They insist on cash; if you suggest a social services program they get very angry. They should all be rounded up by the police but NoVa loves its people who shouldn't be here to begin with.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slur but we don't have gypsies here.

Here where? In the US? Yes we do.

And anyway, so what?

Yes, in the US. And... You are correct! I googled. I was unaware they were in the US. I think most people are unaware it is a slur. I personally do not use it after I learned it was a slur (I was close to 30 btw when I was told the origin.)

This area

I use it and I don't give a rat's ass.
No one uses it and thinks of gypsies.

And when I DO think if gypsies, I think of the scum who drug their kids to help them beg in public places, places they've driven a very nice car to, in order to swindle people. They're criminals and this are is so full of guilt that residents here deserve the bending-over they receive from these crooks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in my 20s when I learned it was a term with bad origins. I was also in my 20s when I learned it was unsavory to say "in like Flynn".

I try not to use it now that I know and feel awkward when it slips (I used it for a long, long time).

I will say, though, that it is not at all like the reference above about Jews. Even those of us who aren't good at distinguishing slurs know that one is bad.

It is?

+1 I just googled it. Who knew? Errol Flynn's sexual exploits and womanizing.

Sexual exploits, womanizing, rape, whatever.

Anonymous wrote:There are lots of words that used to be okay but that PC police have decided we can no longer use.

Shorter PP: I used to be able to offend people and get away with it. Ah, the good old days.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in my 20s when I learned it was a term with bad origins. I was also in my 20s when I learned it was unsavory to say "in like Flynn".

I try not to use it now that I know and feel awkward when it slips (I used it for a long, long time).

I will say, though, that it is not at all like the reference above about Jews. Even those of us who aren't good at distinguishing slurs know that one is bad.

It is?

+1 I just googled it. Who knew? Errol Flynn's sexual exploits and womanizing.

Anonymous wrote:I was in my 20s when I learned it was a term with bad origins. I was also in my 20s when I learned it was unsavory to say "in like Flynn".

I try not to use it now that I know and feel awkward when it slips (I used it for a long, long time).

I will say, though, that it is not at all like the reference above about Jews. Even those of us who aren't good at distinguishing slurs know that one is bad.

It is?

I was in my 20s when I learned it was a term with bad origins. I was also in my 20s when I learned it was unsavory to say "in like Flynn".

I try not to use it now that I know and feel awkward when it slips (I used it for a long, long time).

I will say, though, that it is not at all like the reference above about Jews. Even those of us who aren't good at distinguishing slurs know that one is bad.

There are lots of words that used to be okay but that PC police have decided we can no longer use.

I never knew that it was a slur. I can see why now that I see how it's spelled. I'll start using "short changed".

Anonymous wrote:Slur but we don't have gypsies here.

Here where? In the US? Yes we do.

And anyway, so what?