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Comment by JonnieCache | Hacker News Reader

It's a racial slur against the irish. Somehow I doubt that's how linus is using it though.

It's a racial slur against the irish. - Only in the US. If you were to call an Irish person a mick anywhere outside of the US you'd be met with a confused look and them re-introducing themselves with their actual name.

EDIT: I was wrong! See Peroni's reply below. I leave my incorrect reply here.

{{It's a slur in England.

I guess it's probably dangerous to call people micks in Ireland and Northern Ireland.}}

It really isn't. I'm Irish born & raised and have lived in London now for the last 4 years and not only have I never, ever heard the term used in a derogatory manor, I can't imagine any context where a fellow Irishman would take offence.

TBH I'd say Paddy was more common in the UK as a term for the Irish, but neither are as common as Jock (Scottish) or Taff (Welsh).

I'd say even Septic beats it (Septic Tank = Yank).

Paddy is definitely a lot more common but a bit weak on the scale of racial slurs.

Not Irish, but as an Englishman I'd say it's maybe on a par with being called a Pom or a Limey (which offends me not at all).

Listerine.

As in :

  I'm not Listerine but GitMo horrifies me.

Listerine is a anti-septic mouthwash in UK, where we have a definite Establishment streak of undeserved superiority re: our American cousins

Listerine -> Anti-Septic -> Septic-tank -> Yank -> Yankee -> American

Translation:

   I'm not anti-american but GitMo horrifies me.

c.f. QI Xl episode

These sorts of words can be highly localised. There was an Australian TV show called "Spicks and Specks" (named after a Bee Gees song), and Apple wouldn't let them put an app of the same name in their App Store because it's apparently offensive in the US.

I've heard it outside the US too. However I'd say it's one of the least offensive terms for an Irish person (I'm Irish).

As a Brit, I've never heard of it meaning that.

Is it as in "taking the mick"?

Taking the Mickey Bliss -> Taking the [censored for fear of turning up in the top 17% of vulgar HNers] --> related to it being slang for being Irish? Maybe not then.

No, it's completely unrelated to rhyming slang. I believe it comes from the "Mc" which often begins Irish surnames.

It's more likely because Mick/Michael is such a common Irish name, as in Paddy.

Mc is actually more common in Scottish names (it means son of, and short for Mac), Ó (or Ua) is more common for the Irish (means grandson or less commonly progeny of).

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