Irish fruit
An obsolete, ironic British slang term for a potato, playing on the historical stereotype of Irish dependence on the potato as a food staple.
Definitions
An obsolete, ironic British slang term for a potato, playing on the historical stereotype of Irish dependence on the potato as a food staple. The term dates from a period when anti-Irish sentiment was widespread in Britain, and reflects the cultural shorthand that conflated Irish identity with potato farming and consumption. It is entirely archaic and would now be considered ethnically offensive. It appears in historical dictionaries and texts about British slang but has no living usage.
The old cookbook listed 'Irish fruit' among its ingredient names, a term that would raise eyebrows today.
Comments
(obsolete, slang) A potato.
Comments
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "Irish fruit".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "Irish fruit" (I)
Browse all slang words starting with I.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- 87%
(obsolete, slang) A potato.
- 79%
An obsolete and mildly derogatory British slang term for a potato, playing on the Irish association with potato cultivation and the absurd incongruity of calling something as humble as a potato by the name of an exotic fruit. The joke hinges on the central role of the potato in Irish diet and culture, particularly before and after the Great Famine. The term reflects the kind of ethnic humor common in 18th–19th century British slang and is now entirely obsolete. Historically interesting as an artifact of anti-Irish prejudice in British popular culture.
- 71%
(US) A potato, distinguished from a sweet potato.
- 70%
(dated, Ireland, slang) A potato.