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Took the soup
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Took the Soup "Took the Soup" is a derogatory historical reference to Irish Catholics who accepted meals from Protestant soup kitchens during the Great Irish Famine An Gorta Mór (1845-1851). It was commonly accepted that those wishing to be granted a meal would have to compromise or renounce their Catholic beliefs in order to do so. This could take a subtle form; being offered soup on a Friday that contained meat (objectionable to most Catholics at the time) or overt; having to convert their faith and Anglicise their Irish surname (eg dropping the "O'" so O'Rourke became Rourke etc). This famine relief was seen as an aggressive and exploitative type of proselytism that created much resentment to already unpopular Protestant organisations. Furthermore, Catholics faced with the difficult decision to starve or accept help, had to accept that they would likely be ostracised from their community for choosing the latter. The term is still considered pejorative when used either generically (in reference to a person who betrays their values for some gain), or specifically (to a person either Irish or of Irish descent bearing an Anglicised Irish surname). 
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