Do Welsh people get upset ...

... that their people's name is synonymous with what you call a scumbag who goes back on their word or fails to pay a bet? Or does the fact that a lot of people mistakenly interchange it with "welching" soften the blow?

For that matter, how did the term "welshing" on a bet enter into the parlance? These are the types of things I think about when the internet's not working on my computer and it's too clunky to phone-surf with a Blackberry.

My guess is they are no more upset than the Jewish folk when their name is used as a derogatory verb. They may be less upset than blacks when their name is used to describe how something was put together.

According to Urban Dictionary, and a couple of other sources, the term "welshing" comes from the habit of English bookmakers travelling to Wales to avoid payment on debts incurred in England.

Being 1/2 Irish and 1/2 Welch I do not even think about it nor probably do others. Maybe because there is no politial mileage out of it??

Never occurred to me.

This sort of reminds me of a Seinfeld episode when Jerry is dating an American Indian and uses several phrases that could have been considered racist.

Originally Posted by Jim Schue

... that their people's name is synonymous with what you call a scumbag who goes back on their word or fails to pay a bet? Or does the fact that a lot of people mistakenly interchange it with "welching" soften the blow?

For that matter, how did the term "welshing" on a bet enter into the parlance? These are the types of things I think about when the internet's not working on my computer and it's too clunky to phone-surf with a Blackberry.

I dunno, but I can find out. My fiancee spent a year over in Wales and she (we) have tons of Welsh acquaintances I can check with... Gimme a bit to find out.

If someone goes back on a promise or fails to pay a bet, my dad always called it "rabbitting"

If we made a bet on something he would say, "Now, don't you rabbit on me" meaning if he wins I had better pay up.

Or he would warn me about somebody who wasn't trustworthy "Don't make a deal with him, he might rabbit out on you"

That one always made me laugh and I have no idea what the origin of it is. Anyone else ever hear it?

Originally Posted by Colonels_Wear_Blue

I dunno, but I can find out. My fiancee spent a year over in Wales and she (we) have tons of Welsh acquaintances I can check with... Gimme a bit to find out.

Check out my post above. Pretty sure that is the origin of it.

A guy in my fantasy league called me a welsh and I had no clue what he was talking about. I had to look it up. And BTW I never skipped out on the bet.