Patsy is a

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

often used as a

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

of the feminine

Patricia Patricia is a female given name of Latin language, Latin origin. Derived from the Latin word ''Patrician (ancient Rome), patrician'', meaning "noble"; it is the feminine form of the masculine given name Patrick (given name), Patrick. The name Patr ...

or sometimes the masculine name

Patrick Patrick may refer to: * Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People * Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...

, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among

Italian Americans Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, w ...

, it is often used as a

pet name A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek: (), from (), 'to call by pet names', sometimes also ''hypocoristic'') or pet name is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for I ...

for Pasquale. In older usage, Patsy was also a nickname for Martha or Matilda, following a common nicknaming pattern of changing an M to a P (such as in Margaret → Meg/Meggy → Peg/Peggy; and Molly → Polly) and adding a feminine suffix. President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

called his wife

Martha Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא‎) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to ...

"Patsy" in private correspondence. President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

's eldest daughter

was known by the nickname "Patsy", while his daughter

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

was called "Polly".

People with the name

Female

Patsy Biscoe Patsy Biscoe (born 21 March 1946) is an Australian children's television personality, singer and guitarist. She regularly appeared on children's national television shows, '' Here's Humphrey'' and ''Fat Cat and Friends''. She has released many ...

(born 1946), Australian children's entertainer * Patricia

Patsy Burt Patricia Mary "Patsy" Burt (10 July 1928, Chelsea, London – 4 October 2001) was a British motor racing driver. During a long and varied career, Patsy Burt won many British national-level competitions, and was the first female driver ever to w ...

(1928–2001), British motor racing driver * Patricia

Patsy Byrne Patricia Anne Thirza Byrne (13 July 1933 – 17 June 2014) was an English actress, best known for her role as "Nursie" in ''Blackadder II'' as well as Malcolm's domineering Mother, Mrs Stoneway in all seven series of the ITV comedy '' Watching ...

(1933–2014), English actress * Patsy Chapman (born 1948), British newspaper editor *

Patsy Cline Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...

(1932–1963), American country singer *

Pat Danner Patsy Ann "Pat" Danner (born January 13, 1934, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American politician. She formerly represented the Missouri's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat. Education and backgr ...

(born 1934), American politician *

Patsy Kelly Patsy Kelly (born Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly; January 12, 1910 – September 24, 1981) was an American actress. She is known for her role as the brash, wisecracking sidekick to Thelma Todd in a series of short comedy films produced by Hal Ro ...

(born 1910), American actress * Patricia

Patsy Kensit Patricia Jude Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress and was the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder in the 1980s. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Bird ...

(born 1968), British actress and singer * Patsy Knight (born 1938), American politician * Patsy Lawlor (1933–1997), Irish politician, nurse and businesswoman * Patricia Patsy Lovell (born 1954), English cricketer, member of the 1988 World Cup team * Patricia Patsy May (born 1947), Australian cricketer 1968–1976 * Patsy Ruth Miller (1904–1995), American actress * Patsy Mink (1927–2002), American politician * Patsy Pulitzer (1928–2011), American model, socialite and philanthropist * Patricia Patsy Ramsey (1956–2006), mother of slain child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey * Patsy Reddy, Governor-General of New Zealand * Patricia Patsy Rowlands (1934–2005), British actress in the ''Carry On'' films * Patsy Robertson (1933–2020), Jamaican diplomat and journalist * Patsy Rodenburg (born 1953), British voice coach, author and theatre director * Patsy O’Connell Sherman (1930–2008), American chemist and co-inventor of Scotchgard * Patsy Smart (1918–1996), English actress * Patricia Patsy Ticer (1935–2017), American politician * Patsy Wolfe, Australian lawyer and judge

Male

* Patsy Bradley (born 1984), Gaelic footballer from Northern Ireland * Patrick Patsy Brophy (born 1970), Irish retired hurler * Patrick A. Patsy Brown (1872–1958), Irish-American maker of uilleann pipes * Francis Patsy Callighen (1906–1964), Canadian National Hockey League player * Patrick Patsy Donovan (1865–1953), Irish-American Major League Baseball player and manager * Patrick Patsy Dougherty (1876–1940), American Major League Baseball player * Patsy Fagan (born 1951), Irish retired professional snooker player * Patrick Patsy Foley (born 1943), Irish retired hurler * Patsy Harte (born 1940), Irish former hurler * Elias Henry Patsy Hendren (1889–1962), British cricketer * Pasqualino Lolordo (1887–1929), Italian-American mobster * Patsy McGarry, writer and newspaper editor * Patsy McGlone (born 1959), Irish politician * Patsy O'Hara (1957–1981), Irish Republican hunger striker and member of the Irish National Liberation Army * Patsy Watchorn (born 1944), Irish folk singer

Fictional characters

* Patsy (Monty Python), in the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'', and also the 2005 Monty Python inspired musical ''Spamalot'' * Patsy, the title character in the newspaper comic strip ''The Adventures of Patsy'' (1935–1954) * Patsy Parisi, in HBO series ''The Sopranos'' * Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn#Cast, Patsy Pirati, in the film ''Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn'' (2013) * Patsy Sewer, a singer on the Canadian television program ''Instant Star'' * Patsy Smiles, a mongoose who is in love with Lazlo in the 2005 American animated television series ''Camp Lazlo'' * Patsy Stone, one of the main characters in the 1992–2005 British television series ''Absolutely Fabulous'', played by Joanna Lumley * Patsy Walker, also known as "Hellcat", a Marvel Comics superhero

Victim of deception

The popularity of the name has waned with the rise of its, chiefly North American, meaning as ":wikt:dupe, dupe" or "Scapegoating, scapegoat". ''Fact, Fancy and Fable'', published in 1889, notes that in a sketch performed in Boston "about twenty years ago" a character would repeatedly ask "Who did that?" and the answer was "Patsy Bolivar!" It may have been popularized by the vaudeville, vaudevillian Billy B. Van, whose 1890s character, Patsy Bolivar, was more often than not an innocent victim of unscrupulous or nefarious characters. Van's character became a broad vaudeville "type", imitated by many comedians, including Fred Allen, who later wrote, "Patsy Bolivar was a slang name applied to a bumpkin character; later, it was shortened to Patsy, and referred to any person who was the butt of a joke." Lee Harvey Oswald, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, denied he was responsible for the murder, and stated: "No, they are taking me in because of the fact that I lived in the Soviet Union. I'm just a patsy!" Byron Smith, after Byron David Smith killings, killing Haile Kifer and her cousin, Nicholas Brady, also claimed he was a patsy.

References

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