Took the soup

=Took the Soup=

Took the soup or 'take the soup' is a phrase from An Gorta Mór (1845-1851), denoting those people who sought and accepted soup from the established [http://www.limerick.com/lifestyle/soupkitchen.html soup kitchens] , all of which were operated by Protestant religious organisations. In common parlance a person who 'took the soup' is somebody who betrayed their principles, a meaning which derives from the practice of many Protestant soup kitchens of placing meat in soup on Fridays. As Catholics were forbidden from eating meat on a Friday, they were expected to change their religion in order to be fed in many soup kitchens during An Gorta Mór. The Quakers, however, are noticeable for not engaging in this practice while running their soup kitchens.