Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde, a man whose bon mots are still quoted by those wishing to appear clever, was born in Dublin to prominent Anglo-Irish parents. His father, Sir William Wilde, was an eminent surgeon and oculist, and his mother, Jane Francesca Agnes Wilde, was a poet and Irish nationalist. Clearly, the 'Irish' part of 'Anglo-Irish' was doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Wilde's aestheticism and dandyism were legendary, as was his profound influence on literature. His works, including "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray," remain cornerstones of English literature. One might say he had a flair for the dramatic, both on and off the page.

Despite a life lived largely in the public eye, and a scandal that rocked Victorian society, there is precisely zero evidence to suggest any Jewish ancestry or identity for Oscar Wilde. His wit was sharp, his prose was beautiful, and his arrests were scandalous, but alas, he was as goyish as green beer on St. Patrick's Day.