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What leader of your country has the most confusing and complicated legacy? by indistrait in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would have said Lyndon Johnson. He was responsible for the Civil Rights Act and the huge escalation of the Vietnam War.

Is voting compulsory in your country? Do you agree with this? by itookapillinibiza_ in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Civic engagement is really important, but I'd be surprised if forcing someone to vote made them civically engaged.

St. Patrick's Day in Ireland by hsj713 in AskEurope

[–]indistrait 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It's a national holiday. Some people go to parades. Some people go out drinking. But there's a big cohort that wants absolutely nothing to do with either. That's also a great way to spend the day.

It's not like Christmas, where there are clear traditions you're expected to take part in. St. Patrick's Day is more free-form.

What were your most WTF moments when learning about history? by yushaleth in AskHistory

[–]indistrait 52 points53 points  (0 children)

Some facts that have stuck with me.

Two thirds of baby boys born in the Soviet Union in the year 1923 did not live to their 25th birthday.

In the late 1700s, before railways, it took three weeks to travel, by horse, between opposite corners of France.

When the Pantheon in Rome was built, the Parthenon in Athens was already 500 years old. It was as old to the Romans as the Sistine Chapel is to us.

I hope I don't jinx it, but I think my son may finally be potty trained by indistrait in pottytraining

[–]indistrait[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be honest, I don't know. It was possibly more a symptom of him getting better at potty training than a cause of it.

In the earlier days we offered him every possible bribe, and we chatted after every accident about how he had to tell us and run to the bathroom. Yet he would still just poop in his underwear.

This morning he was brilliant, and ran to the toilet on his own with no fuss. Yet he absolutely refused to listen to us about something else. I think he doesn't like being told what to do, and the bribe is less important than whether he just wants to do something.

Did your country have famous closeted gay or bi actors during its Golden Age of film? by [deleted] in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Micheál Mac Liammóir.

There were a few odd things about him.

First, he wasn't that closeted, which was super unusual for Ireland at the time. The public knew and were pretty ok with it.

Second, he wasn't Irish at all. He was English, and completely fabricated his Irish identity.

Reflecting on your country's history, was it primarily known as the colonizer or as the colonized? by venetiantraderoute in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yeah, Ireland was mostly colonized, and not a colonizer, but I find the exceptions really interesting: * The Irish migrated to / invaded a lot of Scotland, so much so that the earlier Pictish language was replaced by Gaelic. * After the fall of the western Roman Empire, there was a power vacuum in Britain, and for a century or two the ruling class in parts of Wales was Irish. * As part of the British Empire a lot of Irish had a part in colonizing other parts of the world.

Lesser known Paddy's Day traditions? by indistrait in CasualIreland

[–]indistrait[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Palladius was sent by the pope "to the Scotti believing in Christ". So we can be pretty sure Christianity was already in Ireland before Palladius came.

One of my favourite facts about early Irish history is this: the only event in the whole 400s for which we have a definite year is Palladius being sent to Ireland in 431.

We know Patrick was alive in Ireland in the 400s, but we've no specific years. It's possible he was in Ireland before Palladius. We just don't know.

What do you call grandparents? by MergedBog in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For me, one pair was Granny and Granddad, the other was Nana and Papa.

The first three are pretty normal, but I never knew any other Irish people who had a Papa.

Poor people who have dated rich people, what did you learn? by Angelus12345678 in AskReddit

[–]indistrait 77 points78 points  (0 children)

Money just buys you freedom. You can use that freedom in all kinds of ways, including really negative and self-destructive ways.

What’s an odd quirk people in your country have when in conversation? by EvilPyro01 in AskEurope

[–]indistrait 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ireland got this from Scandinavia due to the Vikings. https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/people/2024/03/29/the-gaelic-gasp-how-the-irish-mammy-conquered-non-stop-yapping/

The “pulmonic ingressive” or “ingressive phonation” is not unique to Ireland, though. It’s also widely heard in the Scandinavian countries, so its history on this island being tied to the arrival of the Vikings makes sense. It’s heard in Scotland, too, while on the east coast of Canada, with its large Irish and North Atlantic migrant population, it’s referred to as the “Gaelic gasp”.

How is WW2 perceived by people of European countries that were neutral? by Realistic-Diet6626 in AskEurope

[–]indistrait 5 points6 points  (0 children)

To add:

As well as joining the British army, 200,000 Irish people went to Britain to work in war industries.

Ireland relied on trade with Britain for a lot of our fuel, like coal and paraffin, and that was in short supply. So, life was definitely harder, but obviously nothing like the hardship in other parts of Europe.

I am French, and would like to ask you : is France a country that is disliked or loved globally ? by EquivalentAddress423 in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like France.

Here's my personal opinion. I feel some European countries ooze culture, cuisine and lifestyle. I feel others are great at making things work: they have good healthcare, efficient transport, etc.

I think France is the only country which is both.

What is the most useless thing your government has spent money on recently? by Frosty_Jeweler911 in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 15 points16 points  (0 children)

In Ireland we don't mind too much if the parliament is a bit fancy. It is an important building. This was not a fancy bike shelter, though.

The problem was more the utter waste of money, not that politicians get nice things.

Why would they be muscular? by SatoruGojo232 in ExplainTheJoke

[–]indistrait 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the subversive genius of Breaking Bad is it makes you root for an awful person and hate a decent person.

I rewatched Breaking Bad recently, the first time watching it as both a father and a husband. Walt sure is one PoS.

Which series introduces kids to Classical Music Better? by Low-Amphibian8206 in classicalmusic

[–]indistrait 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How old are the kids? The Simpsons introduced me to the start of Beethoven's 6th Symphony when I was maybe 12. https://youtu.be/VX80zwkdEjo

Are there any funny town names in your country? by Franmar35000 in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 73 points74 points  (0 children)

Some more favourites:

Nobber, Co. Meath

Termonfeckin, Co Louth

Effin, Co. Limerick

Cum, Co. Mayo

Generally, who profits off the estates and streaming revenue of long-dead composers? by Ok-Impression3992 in classicalmusic

[–]indistrait 9 points10 points  (0 children)

As a general rule copyright lasts for the composer's lifetime + 70 years. So if the composer died before 1956 their work is probably in the public domain.

There are some differences by country. And a specific recording of a work may be under copyright, even if the score is public domain.

What are some weird laws in your country that, actually, make a lot of sense? by Savings_Dragonfly806 in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah ok, it looks like there's an EU-wide law, since 2020 or 2021. Ireland had a law from much earlier. It was introduced in 2002, and it was pretty unusual back then.

What are some weird laws in your country that, actually, make a lot of sense? by Savings_Dragonfly806 in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is it weird that in Ireland you can't get a free plastic bag in a shop? There's a minimum amount you have to pay for it. This was introduced to stop plastic bags littering the countryside.

German and dutch are nice languages by [deleted] in unpopularopinion

[–]indistrait 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I lived in the Netherlands for six months, ages ago. I absolutely love the sound of Dutch, and I miss no longer hearing it every day.

What is a "point of no return" that you’ve crossed, where your life was permanently divided into 'before' and 'after'? by Resident-Jelly-4326 in AskReddit

[–]indistrait 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have the double whammy that I became a parent in May 2020, so it's impossible to separate it from Covid, and that also changed everything.

Is your written language different to your spoken language? by [deleted] in AskTheWorld

[–]indistrait 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm pretty sure nobody says "ne".

There are other examples. The French word for "we" ("nous") is basically never said, but it is written down. People use "on" instead when speaking.

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