Taig, and (primarily formerly) also Teague, are anglicisations of the Irish-language male given name Tadhg, used as ethnic slurs for a stage Irishman. Taig in Northern Ireland is most commonly used as a derogatory term by loyalists to refer to Irish Catholics.
Tadhg was once so common as an Irish name that it became synonymous with the typical person, with phrases like Tadhg an mhargaidh ("Tadhg of the market") akin to "the man on the Clapham omnibus" or "average Joe". In the late 1680s, the satirical Williamite ballad Lillibullero includes the line: "Ho brother Taig hast thou heard the decree?" Conversely, the Irish-language name is used defiantly in a Jacobite poem written in the 1690s: "Who goes there" does not provoke fear / "I am Tadhg" is the answer given.[1] In 1698, John Dunton wrote a mocking account of Ireland, titled Teague Land – or A Ramble with the Wild Irish.
Although the term has rarely been used in North America, a notable example of such use was when future Founding Father and lawyer John Adams successfully defended the soldiers responsible for the 1770 Boston Massacre by pleading to the jury that they were being attacked by:
... most probably a motley rabble of saucy boys, negros and molattoes, Irish Teagues and outlandish jack tarrs. —And why we should scruple to call such a set of people a mob, I can't conceive, unless the name is too respectable for them?[2]
In the context of segregation in Northern Ireland and sectarianism in Glasgow, the term "Taig" is used as a derogatory term for a Roman Catholic, used by Northern Irish Protestants and Ulster loyalists.[3][4] In this sense, it is used in a similar way to the word Fenian, but is more ethnic in terms of abuse against people of Gaelic descent than "Fenian", which more commonly signifies Irish republican. Extremist loyalists have also used slogans such as "Kill All Taigs" (KAT) and "All Taigs Are Targets" in graffiti.[4]
In Scotland, "Tim" is often used as an alternative to "Taig" ("Tadhg" is usually translated as "Timothy" and shortened to "Tim" in English).
^Céad buidhe re Dia ("A hundred thanks to God") by Diarmaid Mac Cárthaigh
^"Summation of John Adams" in Rex v. Wemms. umkc.edu. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
^A Way With Words, Taig
^ abConflict Archive on the Internet. "A Glossary of Terms Related to the Conflict".
Taig, and (primarily formerly) also Teague, are anglicisations of the Irish-language male given name Tadhg, used as ethnic slurs for a stage Irishman....
Tadhg (/taɪɡ/ TYGHE, Irish: [t̪ˠəiɡ, t̪ˠeːɡ]), commonly anglicized as "Taig" or "Teague", is an Irish and Scottish Gaelic masculine name that was very...
the evasi0n jailbreak. On November 29, 2014, TaiG team released their untethered jailbreak tool called "TaiG" for devices running iOS 8.0–8.1.1. On December...
suspects. In July 2017 he received criticism for his usage of the term "taig", a racial slur for Catholics of Irish descent, during an exchange on Twitter...
Tadhg Gerard Beirne (/ˈtaɪɡ ˈbɜːrn/; born 8 January 1992) is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Munster...
Kevin Tighe (/taɪɡ/; born Jon Kevin Fishburn; August 13, 1944) is an American actor who has worked in television, film, and theatre since the late 1960s...
and Spanish) Christians Great Apostates Mackerel snapper Mariolater Romish Taig or Teague Dogan (refers specifically to Irish Roman Catholics) "Conclusions...
Kafir Catholics Creeping Jesus Dogan Fenian Mackerel snapper Papist Romanist Taig Whore of Babylon Protestants Fundie Holy Roller Other Mormon Great and abominable...
Northern Ireland Protestants, often used alongside Taig (Irish Catholics) in expressions such as both Taigs and Prods. Like other such abbreviations everywhere...
Skye". Culchie Gaels Russian stereotyping of rural people via Chukchi jokes Taig Yokel Oxford English Dictionary, second edition, 1989 Robinson, Mairi, ed...
Kafir Catholics Creeping Jesus Dogan Fenian Mackerel snapper Papist Romanist Taig Whore of Babylon Protestants Fundie Holy Roller Other Mormon Great and abominable...
Kafir Catholics Creeping Jesus Dogan Fenian Mackerel snapper Papist Romanist Taig Whore of Babylon Protestants Fundie Holy Roller Other Mormon Great and abominable...
February 2022. Ayto & Simpson (2010), "taffy" Bernard Wienraub (2 June 1971). "taig". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2004. Retrieved...
made to crack. You've never seen a better Taig than with a bullet in his back" and "Don't be vague, kill a Taig". A generic male person can also be called...
O'Grady & Alfred Perceval Graves The Irish Fairy Book Conal and Donal and Taig 1900 Ireland Seumas MacManus Donegal Fairy Stories Conary Mor 1910 Ireland...
Queen's Counsel was re-instated by the South Australian government in 2019. Taig "Fenians". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 30 August 2019. Green, E...
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