Here's Why It's Actually St. Paddy And Not St. Patty

Not everyone has a master's degree in Celtic History, but we all can enjoy wearing some green and hoisting a pint today in honor of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, and Irish people worldwide.

However, if you're going to get jocular with the holy snake driver, make sure you shorten his name correctly: It's Paddy, not Patty.

A good wee website, paddynotpatty.com, has been fighting the good fight for a few years now, reminding us why we should shorten St. Patrick's name with D's and not T's:

Paddy is derived from the Irish, Pádraig: the source of those mysterious, emerald double-Ds. Patty is the diminutive of Patricia, or a burger, and just not something you call a fella. There isn't a sinner in Ireland that would refer to a Patrick as 'Patty.' It's as simple as that.

St. Patrick was a Roman Catholic bishop in the Early Middle Ages who is thought to have died on March 17. So think of today as the best Irish wake you've ever been to.

Armed with this info and the proper pronunciation, you may now go to your favorite pub and enjoy the warm embrace of the Irish people and culture.

Just don't drink green beer. Ever.