You're likely to see St. Patrick's Day referred to as "St. Patty's Day" today, but, in fact, the two "t's" spelling is incorrect — and Marcus Campbell wants you to know it.
As MarketWatch reports, the Vancouver-based Web developer, who was born in Ontario and raised in Northern Ireland, is the force behind the website Paddy Not Patty, which aims to put an end, once and for all, to the "onslaught of superficial, dyed-green references to Saint Patrick’s Day as Patty’s Day."
So why "Paddy"?
Campbell notes on his website that "Paddy" is derived from the Irish name "Padraig," whereas " 'Patty' is the diminutive of Patricia, or a burger, and just not something you call a fella."
In addition to the site, Campbell has a Twitter account devoted to promoting the correct spelling.
Campbell summed up his frustration to MarketWatch: "If folk want to celebrate the man, the country or their heritage and are eager to be so folksy and colloquial about it, can they not just get his name right? You’d never hear of a Patrick in Ireland being called Patty. It’s really as simple as that."
