Comments on: The Irish Person Thing http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sun, 27 May 2012 00:15:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Pat http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150984 Pat Sat, 08 Apr 2006 03:42:02 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150984 An Irishman living in New York sits next to another Irishman at a bar. He turns to the man next to him and says, "Are you having a good evening?" The second says, "Why yes I am indeed. Would you be Irish, then?" "Faith, that I am," says the first, "A proud son of County Galway." "County Galway!" says the second, "That's where I'm from. What town do you come from?" "Loughrea," says the first, "And a finer town cannot be found in all of Ireland." "Ah, Loughrea," says the second, "A fine town and the place where I was born. Tell me, did you go to school there?" "Why yes, I did. I began school in 1961 in Loughrea." "Faith, so did I. Did you go to St. Bridget's or St. Patrick's?" "Sure, the nuns at St. Patrick's taught me right from wrong." "Ah, they were fine women, those nuns, none finer in all of Ireland." Meanwhile, at waiter comes up to the bar. As he puts his order up, the bartender says to him, "It's going to be a long night." The waiter says, "Why do you say that?" The bartender replies, "The Murphy twins are drunk already." An Irishman living in New York sits next to another Irishman at a bar. He turns to the man next to him and says, “Are you having a good evening?”

The second says, “Why yes I am indeed. Would you be Irish, then?”

“Faith, that I am,” says the first, “A proud son of County Galway.”

“County Galway!” says the second, “That’s where I’m from. What town do you come from?”

“Loughrea,” says the first, “And a finer town cannot be found in all of Ireland.”

“Ah, Loughrea,” says the second, “A fine town and the place where I was born. Tell me, did you go to school there?”

“Why yes, I did. I began school in 1961 in Loughrea.”

“Faith, so did I. Did you go to St. Bridget’s or St. Patrick’s?”

“Sure, the nuns at St. Patrick’s taught me right from wrong.”

“Ah, they were fine women, those nuns, none finer in all of Ireland.”

Meanwhile, at waiter comes up to the bar. As he puts his order up, the bartender says to him, “It’s going to be a long night.”

The waiter says, “Why do you say that?”

The bartender replies, “The Murphy twins are drunk already.”

]]> By: Phoenician in a time of Romans http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150914 Phoenician in a time of Romans Fri, 07 Apr 2006 06:34:36 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150914 Actually, with Russell Crowe, New Zealanders have adopted a sophisticated protocol wherein, should he be mentioned in conjunction with some award or in a list of the ten sexiest actors, this will be met with "Grew up in Aotearoa, you know.", and should he be mentioned in conjunction with some fight or bar brawl, will be met with "Bloody Aussie Wanker". Shagging Meg Ryan gets notched up in the "Kiwi" category, of course. Actually, with Russell Crowe, New Zealanders have adopted a sophisticated protocol wherein, should he be mentioned in conjunction with some award or in a list of the ten sexiest actors, this will be met with “Grew up in Aotearoa, you know.”, and should he be mentioned in conjunction with some fight or bar brawl, will be met with “Bloody Aussie Wanker”.

Shagging Meg Ryan gets notched up in the “Kiwi” category, of course.

]]> By: derrida derider http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150913 derrida derider Fri, 07 Apr 2006 06:13:07 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150913 liz, please, take that a**hole back. We've had enough of him this side of the ditch. liz, please, take that a**hole back. We’ve had enough of him this side of the ditch.

]]> By: Liz http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150907 Liz Fri, 07 Apr 2006 04:02:54 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150907 There was a lovely programme on This American Life years ago about Canadians, and the 15-second (I think) rule: if you mention Jim Carrey, or Michael J. Fox, or Pamela Anderson, or any other famous person with a Canadian background to a Canadian, there's a 15-second window in which they're almost bound to say 'he/she/it's Canadian, you know.' Speaking as a Kiwi, it applies to us too, especially when there's confusion about whether a person is from NZ or Australia. Except for Russell Crowe--we're happy for him to be an Australian. There was a lovely programme on This American Life years ago about Canadians, and the 15-second (I think) rule: if you mention Jim Carrey, or Michael J. Fox, or Pamela Anderson, or any other famous person with a Canadian background to a Canadian, there’s a 15-second window in which they’re almost bound to say ‘he/she/it’s Canadian, you know.’

Speaking as a Kiwi, it applies to us too, especially when there’s confusion about whether a person is from NZ or Australia. Except for Russell Crowe—we’re happy for him to be an Australian.

]]> By: mdhatter http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150904 mdhatter Fri, 07 Apr 2006 03:12:25 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150904 remember, god invented whiskey to keep us from ruling the world. remember, god invented whiskey to keep us from ruling the world.

]]> By: Left in the West » Blog Archive » Kieran Hiely Discusses “The Irish Person Thing” http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150887 Left in the West » Blog Archive » Kieran Hiely Discusses “The Irish Person Thing” Thu, 06 Apr 2006 23:20:41 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150887 [...] Seems to me like it could easily be the Montana Person Thing. [...] [...] Seems to me like it could easily be the Montana Person Thing. [...]

]]> By: Tracy W http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150875 Tracy W Thu, 06 Apr 2006 21:32:59 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150875 Comment 8 - this does not depend on whether you try to keep close to ex-pats. It has happened to me while I am trying to steer clear of other ex-pats. We went to the UK. We deliberately did not live in London or Edinburgh. I was walking along a street in Chester and was tapped on the back by a member of the other Kiwi family in Chester (her brother was doing the same uni course as my now-sister-in-law.) Short of shooting your fellow compatriots the moment they identify themselves, there's not much you can do about it, whether you want to avoid other ex-pats or not. Comment 8 – this does not depend on whether you try to keep close to ex-pats. It has happened to me while I am trying to steer clear of other ex-pats. We went to the UK. We deliberately did not live in London or Edinburgh. I was walking along a street in Chester and was tapped on the back by a member of the other Kiwi family in Chester (her brother was doing the same uni course as my now-sister-in-law.)

Short of shooting your fellow compatriots the moment they identify themselves, there’s not much you can do about it, whether you want to avoid other ex-pats or not.

]]> By: aimai http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150836 aimai Thu, 06 Apr 2006 17:38:02 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150836 What, no Jews are represented here? This is called "Jewish Geography" or "Jewish Geneaology" and there are some famous versions published in books including a long silent rumination by a man travelling on a train in russia who sees another jew get on and figures out through a process of highly ramified connections exactly who and what this person must be, where he is going, and why without ever talking to him at all. And my cousin (aged 18 at the time) once recognized a relative from the old country (aged 65 at the time) whose family had gotten off the boat accidentally in england, were still bitter about it, and set up a bookstore in Cambridge england. She walked into his shop and realized he looked exactly like my father and traced the connection to a village in the Ukraine that had emptied out in the 1890's, some going to england and most to america. aimai What, no Jews are represented here? This is called “Jewish Geography” or “Jewish Geneaology” and there are some famous versions published in books including a long silent rumination by a man travelling on a train in russia who sees another jew get on and figures out through a process of highly ramified connections exactly who and what this person must be, where he is going, and why without ever talking to him at all.

And my cousin (aged 18 at the time) once recognized a relative from the old country (aged 65 at the time) whose family had gotten off the boat accidentally in england, were still bitter about it, and set up a bookstore in Cambridge england. She walked into his shop and realized he looked exactly like my father and traced the connection to a village in the Ukraine that had emptied out in the 1890’s, some going to england and most to america.

aimai

]]> By: marcel http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150830 marcel Thu, 06 Apr 2006 16:18:40 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150830 daniel wrote: <i> … or to do what the West Midlands Serious Crimes Squad used to be able to achieve without gathering any evidence at all! </i> Sounds like the Bush administration's case for invading Iraq! Or in a situation that is more simlar, like the decisions about interning so-called enemy combatants. Hope the results in the West Midlands are better! daniel wrote:

… or to do what the West Midlands Serious Crimes Squad used to be able to achieve without gathering any evidence at all!

Sounds like the Bush administration’s case for invading Iraq! Or in a situation that is more simlar, like the decisions about interning so-called enemy combatants. Hope the results in the West Midlands are better!

]]> By: Tim http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150827 Tim Thu, 06 Apr 2006 15:30:02 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150827 <i>My</i> people say, "You're from Jersey, too? What exit?" But when my grandfather went to Ireland, a cousin of ours recognized him just because he looked like his father (who had left the country 50 years or so before). My people say, “You’re from Jersey, too? What exit?”

But when my grandfather went to Ireland, a cousin of ours recognized him just because he looked like his father (who had left the country 50 years or so before).

]]> By: nick s http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150820 nick s Thu, 06 Apr 2006 14:48:37 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150820 This is somewhat related to the handshake thread, but in both Ireland and NZ, it's more likely to have a 'famous/notable someone' as a friend or in the family, and that creates obvious points of contact. It's the 'incestuous small countries' thing: Estonia has its MPs, TV presenters, head-of-the-central-bank, etc, but only a million or so adults to fill those posts. In the UK, it happens on a town/locality level, especially if you're from a part of the country with relatively low population mobility, and several generations of family history. My late grandma seemed to know stories about most people in my town with at least two generations' history there. This is somewhat related to the handshake thread, but in both Ireland and NZ, it’s more likely to have a ‘famous/notable someone’ as a friend or in the family, and that creates obvious points of contact. It’s the ‘incestuous small countries’ thing: Estonia has its MPs, TV presenters, head-of-the-central-bank, etc, but only a million or so adults to fill those posts.

In the UK, it happens on a town/locality level, especially if you’re from a part of the country with relatively low population mobility, and several generations of family history. My late grandma seemed to know stories about most people in my town with at least two generations’ history there.

]]> By: Steve LaBonne http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150819 Steve LaBonne Thu, 06 Apr 2006 14:46:33 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150819 My ex-wife is a Parsi from Bombay. Now THERE's a tiny population. They have these conversations all the time, especially since so many of them went to one or another of a relative handful of private schools. Also sometimes I'm tempted to think they're all actually cousins of one degree or another. My ex-wife is a Parsi from Bombay. Now THERE’s a tiny population. They have these conversations all the time, especially since so many of them went to one or another of a relative handful of private schools. Also sometimes I’m tempted to think they’re all actually cousins of one degree or another.

]]> By: LizardBreath http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150814 LizardBreath Thu, 06 Apr 2006 13:59:44 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150814 Samoans are incredible at this. When I was living there, I'd meet someone new and thirty seconds later, after they'd placed me, they'd be telling me stories about what their cousin Luatasi thought of my math class. I still treasure the memory of one time in a bar when I placed someone before he placed me (he'd mentioned that his family was Mormon, and that he had relatives in a particular village) and I got to ask him, casually, how the wedding-cake business was going. (Of course, the mere fact that I was able to figure that out meant that he had me figured out thirty seconds later, but I still got there first.) Samoans are incredible at this. When I was living there, I’d meet someone new and thirty seconds later, after they’d placed me, they’d be telling me stories about what their cousin Luatasi thought of my math class. I still treasure the memory of one time in a bar when I placed someone before he placed me (he’d mentioned that his family was Mormon, and that he had relatives in a particular village) and I got to ask him, casually, how the wedding-cake business was going. (Of course, the mere fact that I was able to figure that out meant that he had me figured out thirty seconds later, but I still got there first.)

]]> By: SamChevre http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150813 SamChevre Thu, 06 Apr 2006 13:43:45 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150813 I grew up in the Amish-Mennonite world--we do the same thing. Shortly before we were engaged, my girlfriend and I visited a church that's somewhat Mennonite, where I knew the name of one person (the one who'd given me directions). I told her to watch and see--there would be people who knew me. As it turned out, there were a half-dozen people who knew me or my family. I grew up in the Amish-Mennonite world—we do the same thing. Shortly before we were engaged, my girlfriend and I visited a church that’s somewhat Mennonite, where I knew the name of one person (the one who’d given me directions). I told her to watch and see—there would be people who knew me. As it turned out, there were a half-dozen people who knew me or my family.

]]> By: mcg http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-150812 mcg Thu, 06 Apr 2006 13:41:49 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-irish-person-thing/#comment-150812 hilarious...and nsa is on ft. meade, maryland. for the record, i'm from fort meade, and whenever two of us get in a room we always talk about the people we know in common. hilarious…and nsa is on ft. meade, maryland. for the record, i’m from fort meade, and whenever two of us get in a room we always talk about the people we know in common.

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