Mediterranean Irish

alternative Mediterranean Irishman

1. UKThe Ionian Islanders.

   Since the 1830s, pro-British Ionians . . . took their cue from the colonial officers, who denigrated the Ionians, comparing them to the aboriginal groups like the Hottentots or Irish. Indeed, the British frequently referred to the Ionians as the "Mediterranean Irish."

   2000, Thomas W. Gallant, “Honor, Masculinity, and Ritual Knife Fighting in Nineteenth-Century Greece,”, in American Historical Review, volume 105, number 2, page 377

2. USSynonym of Italian, an inhabitant of Italy or person of Italian descent.

   His name is I. J. Saccamanno. He is a Mediterranean "Irish" and I love him like a brother.

   1959, Labor-management Reform Legislation: Hearings Before a Joint Subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor, United States Congress, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 742

   Synonyms: Italian

alternative Mediterranean Irishman

1. not comparableOf or pertaining to such people.

   My name is Tony Licari. . . . An Irish guy once told me I was "Mediterranean Irish." I guess that is slang for those of us with vowels at the end of our surnames.

   2007 March 28, “Licari of Arabia”, in blogspot.com, retrieved 20 Jan 2008

   1 more example

   My dear deceased mama used to say to me when I was young and cried b/c I was all Italian. . . "You're Mediterranean Irish and that's good enough" on St. Pat's day!

   2007, "Advertisement for 'Kiss Me...I'm Irish' T-shirt, zazzle.com, comment posted by Donamaria, 24 Feb. (retrieved 21 Jan 2008)