What is the difference between lace curtain Irish and shanty Irish?
The “lace curtain Irish” were those who were well off, while the “shanty Irish” were the poor, who were presumed to live in shanties, or roughly-built cabins. Irish Americans who prospered or married well could go from “shanty Irish” to “lace curtain Irish”, and wealthy socialites could have shanty Irish roots.
What does shanty mean in Irish?
All Irish started as shanty Irish, a term for a one-room cabin really. Five Points in New York and South Boston teemed with them. Shanty meant rough, uncouth, usually a drinker.
Where does the term shanty Irish come from?
“Shanty Irish” was used to describe the poorest of the poor Irish immigrants, the kind who ended up in shanty town (the origin of the word “shanty” is not known, but it might come from the Irish “sean tí”, meaning “old house”).
Are the Irish impervious to psychoanalysis?
It was a quote attributed to Sigmund Freud about the Irish, that the Irish were “impervious to psychoanalysis.” The origin of the quote was the subject of an international research effort which included the Association of Psychoanalysts and Psychotherapists in Ireland, the American Psychoanalytic Association, and the …
What is Black Irish look?
The term is commonly used to describe people of Irish origin who have dark features, black hair, a dark complexion and dark eyes.
Are sea shanty Irish?
A sea shanty isn’t any old nautical number: shanties are a specific type of work song dating to the 19th century merchant navy, divided by rhythm into groups, depending on the type of work being done. And there’s good reason to believe they are heavily influenced by Irish musical tradition.
Why are the Irish impervious to psychoanalysis?
He believed the Irish have no interest in picking apart their own brains. Freud is also claimed to have stated that the Irish are a mass of contradictions and impervious to the rational thought processes that might resolve them. Whether or not Freud actually said these words, we may never know.
What is black Irish coloring?
Black Irish is an ambiguous term sometimes used (mainly outside Ireland) as a reference to a dark-haired phenotype appearing in people of Irish origin. However, dark hair in people of Irish descent is common, although darker skin complexions appear less frequently.
Who are the lace curtain and the shanty Irish?
Lace curtain Irish and shanty Irish are terms that were commonly used in the 19th and 20th centuries to categorize Irish people, particularly Irish Americans, by social class. The “lace curtain Irish” were those who were well off, while the “shanty Irish” were the poor, who were presumed to live in shanties,…
Where did the term shanty come from in Ireland?
The term “shanty” comes from the Irish seanteach (lit. “old house” – pronounced shan-t(y)akh). Many poor Irish tenant farmers lived in one-room cabins. “The Irishman’s Shanty”, a 19th-century comic song, describes a stereotypical Irishman’s quarters:
What was the song the Irishman’s shanty about?
“The Irishman’s Shanty”, a 19th-century comic song, describes a stereotypical Irishman’s quarters: And his chist is three wooden pegs in the wall: One to wear in the shanty, that same for the street.
Where did the term lace curtain come from?
As lace curtains became commonplace in Irish-American working-class homes, “lace curtain” was still used in a metaphorical, and often pejorative, sense.