Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone

Subject: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 18 Aug 08 - 09:56 PM

.but has anyone ever heard the expression Irish Twins. One of my clients laid the expression on me and I had never heard it before -- evidently Irish Twins are siblings born within one year of each other.......I had absolutely never heard of this expression.

Are there others out there like this?

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 18 Aug 08 - 09:57 PM

Sorry - should be BS but I don't know how to change it.....

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Peace
Date: 18 Aug 08 - 10:19 PM

""I recently heard the expression, Irish twins. What does it mean and would you cast some light as to its origin?"

[A] What it means is easy enough to explain. It refers to siblings born in the same calendar year, or otherwise less than twelve months apart. It's clearly a deeply derogatory comment about the stereotypical fecundity (and lack of contraception) of Irish Catholic families. It's probably twentieth-century, but I can find little evidence that would help to tie it down (it may be relevant that it isn't listed in the 1984 edition of Eric Partridge's Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English). So far as I can tell from the places I've found it, all online, it's primarily an American expression; it's also known in Britain, but it doesn't often find its way into print, no doubt because it is considered offensive."

From a google of Irish Twins

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Aug 08 - 10:38 PM

Used to hear the term Catholic twins which means much the same.
And being part Irish, as a kid playmates asked to see my Irish inch- a penis. Also heard Guinea twins.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 12:48 AM

Well -- I am glad I clearly labeled the thread No Offense Intended......maybe it's my age but it just doesn't occur to me to 'Google' anything.........thanks for shedding light....

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Peace
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 12:51 AM

Little kid in the bath and he notices his testes. He asked his mom, "Are these my brains?"

She replied, "Not yet, son, not yet."

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Peace
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 12:52 AM

"maybe it's my age but it just doesn't occur to me to 'Google' anything"

If it wasn't for Mr Google I'd have no memory at all.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Peace
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 12:55 AM

"maybe it's my age but it just doesn't occur to me to 'Google' anything"

If it wasn't for google I'd have no memory at all.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: GUEST,Steele
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 03:01 AM

I never heard that before TRUBIT. Don't worry about offending the Irish, I imagine the Irish members must be used to insults by now. They are usually a lot worse than this passing expression !

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Megan L
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 03:44 AM

Peace Skelp :)

Now what wis that fur - - drat this memory.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: gnu
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 04:57 AM

Q... "And being part Irish, as a kid playmates asked to see my Irish inch- a penis."

Not uncommon for a wee Irish lad to have a penis only an inch wide when flaccid.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Peace
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 05:00 AM

No doubt.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: SINSULL
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 08:14 AM

Never heard it before either, TRUBRIT. But I grew up in an Irish Catholic neighborhood. I would imagine the Kennedys had a large number of Irish twibns.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: sian, west wales
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 11:25 AM

A few years back, my mother and I were passing an old farmhouse down in the Niagara Penninsula (s.e.Ontario) which was something the worse for wear. My mother said, "Oh, that place has gone to look very Irish." I requested an explanation in a tone of voice which forewarned her of Political Correctness. I received an explanation which had one level of meaning more than the phrase originally warranted.

My mother's people were Cornish (and VERY proper) on her grandfather's side and Ulster Irish (and very NOT proper) on her grandmother's side. The Cornish side of the family had been most unhappy about their son marrying an Irish girl from the country. (This was around Peterborough, Ont.) The Cornish lot used to say something was looking very 'Irish' if it was unkempt and ragged 'round the edges.

However ...

As a little girl, my mother had loads of fun with the Irish side of the family, and nothing but lectures and pudding-basin haircuts from the Cornish side. SO, although it was SAID as an insult, it always meant to my mother that the people inside were probably out having fun rather than chained to a bucket and mop.

Now when I see places that are messy (like my own house!) I may not say they're looking 'very irish' but I do assume that the inhabitant is off doing something far more interesting than dusting.

No offense taken.

sian

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: PoppaGator
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 12:28 PM

I am decidedly Irish-American, and I have heard this expression, but I've only heard it very recently ~ 2-3 years ago, at most, for the first time.

There were quite a few pairs of very-close-in-age siblings among my playmates/schoolmates/neighbors growing up, and if the phrase "Irish twins" were in common use at all, I'm sure I would have heard it back then.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Mrrzy
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 01:28 PM

I've heard that expression, also catholic twins.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Newport Boy
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 02:18 PM

There's also the 'Irish Bridge', used widely on construction sites. I suspect that the term may have spread from the site to more respectable use.

The site method of construction is to chuck a pipe in the stream and bulldoze earth over it.

Phil

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 03:05 PM

I would be very surprised if any Irish person were remotely offended by your post. I wasn't.

As for the offensiveness of the term ... let me search my feelings ...

nope ... not bothered about that either ...

My view on this thread is as follows ...

1. You display a clear and welcome consideration for the feelings of others.

2. The rule I set for myself is that an honest question, born of natural human curiosity and asked politely is healthy and valuable.

3. A polite and informative answer will no doubt include any information pertaining to the sensitivity of the subject.

4. Honest open discussion of sensitive issues creates understanding and heals old wounds.

5. Anyone who might give you a hard time for asking an open honest question in a considerate manner when you know you have been thoughtful in the way you have phrased it should be ignored. There are some who will take opportunities to bash you regardless.

It's about common courtesy which you clearly possess in abundance.

(In my opinion)

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 09:59 PM

Thank you so much -- truly appreciated!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Peace
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 10:07 PM

"It's about common courtesy which you clearly possess in abundance.

(In my opinion)"

Ditto that, Lox.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 20 Aug 08 - 05:38 AM

Born from an Irish-American mother, I too would hate to offend any one deliberately (other than by a misunderstood tongue-in cheek, flippant remark !).

When I was an apprentice, many many years ago, if you started work before the official start time, this was known as "Irish overtime".

When visitng our home from the States, Mommy referred to our cobwebs as "Irish curtains".

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: sian, west wales
Date: 20 Aug 08 - 03:40 PM

Oh yeh! We used to call cobwebs, "irish lace". Same difference!

sian

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: Mooh
Date: 20 Aug 08 - 04:11 PM

The closest thing in my edition of Partridge's Concise Dictionary Of Slang & Unconventional English is "Irish toothache. Pregnancy...The sexual frustration suffered by young men wose fiances or girlfriends kept on saying "no"...late 1940s." (You mean to say all my ex's were Irish, I wonder.)

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: ragdall
Date: 20 Aug 08 - 05:18 PM

I can see why a family with two children who look alike and are less than a year apart in age and size might be have people asking if there are twins.

I worked with a man who had three children born in the same year, all in the same grade at school. If I remember correctly, there was less than nine months between the eldest and the twins who were born prematurely. I wonder, would they be [some ethnic group] triplets?

Subject: RE: Absolutely NO intention to offend anyone
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Aug 08 - 05:36 PM

Can't see anything particularly offensive, though I've never heard the expression.

So Irish families tended to be on the large side for a generation or so longer than some other families. Nothing wrong with that, and I am sure all the younger offspring of such families, and their descendants, are duly grateful for that fact, without which they wouldn't exist.