[american colleen]

the writer must never have read Boston history --- the Irish community was divided... you were 'lace curtain Irish' or a 'Paddy' or perhaps a 'bog trotter' -- depended on what part of Boston you lived in and/or the parish church where you belonged.

the more things change, the more they stay the same :-)

[wtc911]

Lace Curtain or Shanty.

[Albion Wilde]

the writer must never have read Boston history --- the Irish community was divided... you were 'lace curtain Irish' or a 'Paddy' or perhaps a 'bog trotter' -- depended on what part of Boston you lived in and/or the parish church where you belonged.

LOL!! So true. And I once had a friend who was actually born in Ireland and who often indulged in the particularly Irish depressed self-loathing remarks (the kind that immediately precede a scathing put-down of everyone else within earshot). So I explained how Americans use those terms, "lace-curtain" and "shanty Irish", and asked him what the real Irish term was for the upper class. Without missing a beat, he said, "English."

I collapsed laughing. He just stood there mournfully (pretext for a drink).

[ichabod1]

you were 'lace curtain Irish'

Heh. That was another line from that scene in the Godfather. The movie producer was talking to Tom Hayden the Irish consigliere, and he goes something like "you let me tell you something else you lace curtain Irish mick"...