BUFFALO, N.Y. — St. Patrick's Day is just days away. There's no doubt you've seen the "Kiss Me I'm Irish" or "Luck of the Irish" sayings at stores — or on people. But what's the story behind these phrases? Are the Irish really lucky?

The Tara Gift Shoppe has the scoop. Tom Heneghan says the saying "luck of the Irish" used to be a slur. He explains when the Irish came to America, they weren't exactly welcome. In fact, there were signs on business that read "Irish need not apply."

When they went West to find gold, whenever they did, Heneghan says it wasn't because of hard work.

"It had to be 'the luck of the Irish,' " he explained. "So it was a slur. And now, to this day, it stays on as just like a little trite term. True 'luck of the Irish' comes from an old myth of kissing the Blarney Stone gives you ... luck."

And that's where the saying "Kiss me I'm Irish" comes from. So the thought is every Irishman has kissed the Blarney stone, and with a smooch, you'd get some luck, too. 

An interesting fact: Corned beef and cabbage are not a thing in Ireland. It's actually boiled ham and cabbage. It became corned beef here because it was a way to cure meats.

Leprechauns, meanwhile, are the Irish version of Robin Hood. They find the pot of gold, or maybe steal it, but good always comes from their mischievous adventures.