Discussion → origins

• 
  Finnegan Flawnt

  Mar 01, 02:10pm

  
  

  why is this group called "the paddy whacker"?

  A 'paddy whacker' is a policeman's truncheon or baton. Arose from the fact that the Irish were generally on the wrong side on the law in the New World and as such were often on the wrong end of the paddy whacker.

  Wooden truncheons, which have been carried by Irish police since the 1800s, were phased out only in 2003, and replaced by lightweight retractable batons. The truncheons, with notches, fancy carvings and names cut into them, were often passed down generations of gardai.

  the Gardaí (colloq. - really "Garda Síochána na hÉireann" - Gaelic for "Guard(ians) of the Peace of Ireland") is the police force of Ireland.

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• 
  Finnegan Flawnt

  Mar 07, 01:41pm

  
  

  The creation of this group goes back to Susan Tepper's contribution "St. Paddy's Day Challenge" in the "General" discussion forum.

  Susan, besides her merits as a poet, has already been immortalised as the extremely dexterous organizer of the legendary "Valentine's Day Massacre Challenge" at Fictionaut, which resulted in a flurry of hearts and a future chapbook from the many contributions flaunted here by the participants.

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• 
  Susan Tepper

  Mar 07, 04:33pm

  
  

  Finnegan, if I was your inspiration for starting this wonderful group well I am truly delighted. Will be sending my story in a day or so. Maybe on St. Paddy's day itself. The thrill of the deadline

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• 
  Finnegan Flawnt

  Mar 15, 05:30am

  
  

  irish dirt. it's well known to be the best dirt in the world. it serves as a natural bedding for the shamrock, which is a beautiful (to me) word for a simple thing. learn all about it here from lolly:

  http://www.lollysmith.com/allabsham.html

  the shamrock reminds me of the gingko leaf which was holy to the german nation's literary hero of all times, goethe. gingko and clover go together well: if you lose your sexual powers on st patrick's day because of the booze, consider laying down the shamrock and pick up some gingko juice to rejuvenate:

  "Following treatment with the ginkgo leaf extract, all patients in the first group (20 men) regained sufficient and spontaneous erections following six months of treatment."
  (source: http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/ginkgo.html)

  having one leg in ireland and another in germany is a useful thing indeed.

  more "origins" to be posted daily until paddy day.

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• 
  Finnegan Flawnt

  Mar 16, 10:07am

  
  

  last in my short series of forgettable posts on all things paddyish (how exactly did i get into this? was it the fact that i once loved a lass from cork? my irish bulbous nose?) - is a topic that already enjoyed several of our challenge participants' particular attention: FOOD - in the form of RICE (lang), TEA (bond) and SALAD (bogle). yes, food, not booze (remember: booze is not food. it may be required to read through the pile of rejections gathering dust on your desk but it is most certainly not food.)

  there is lots to learn here: i read e.g. "irish food is not the devil" - i didn't even know there WAS irish food. i had heard of haggis as a instrument of oral scottish torture but i thought the irish lived on green beer, clover, love and music. turns out they are home to things like the "rhubarb fool" and "pig's trotters" - excellent story titles me thinks (ref: http://www.open.salon.com/blog/kathy_riordan/2010/03/15/irish_food_is_not_the_devil).

  and if you are more practically inclined and need to touch, smell, eat before you understand, or if you must entertain a large group of irishmen on paddy day before they head for the pub, consider making an "irish beef stew" (ref. http://www.open.salon.com/blog/jodi_kasten/2010/03/16/foodie_st_pats_guinness_beef_stew).

  food for thought indeed. you might ask why i chose food and not the abuse scandals currently surrounding, almost burying in fact, the catholic church for the penultimate paddy posting in this "origins" thread. well, the other day, i heard cardinal brady say on the BBC "ireland is safe for children now" and who am i not to believe a dignitary.

  over and out. time for irish coffee (counts as food).

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