Mc-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "mc"

English

Alternative forms

• Traditionally written as M^c-, and later also as as M^c-.

Etymology

From Irish mac (“son”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mək/, /mæk/
• Homophones: Mack, Mac

Prefix

Mc-

1. A patronymic used to form common Irish and Scottish names, similar to the English -son.
2. (often derogatory) Used in combination with a non-name descriptive word to form mock names.

   ‎Mc- + ‎shit → ‎McShit

   ‎Mc- + ‎stupid → ‎McStupid

   • 1950 Gerald McBoing Boing (cartoon short):

     "Nyah-nyah!" they all shouted. "Your name's not McCloy! You're Gerald McBoing Boing, the noise-making boy!'

   • 1968 Eddie Jefferson "Filthy McNasty" (lyrics for a 1961 instrumental of the same name by Horace Silver):

     His body is lean.

     His feet aren't clean.

     His mouth is real mean

     When he's on the scene,

     But all the time you hear the women really yellin' his name: Filthy McNasty.

   • 2005, Daniel J. Hill, Divinity and Maximal Greatness, Routledge, →ISBN, page 44:

     Alternatively, one may make the example a bit sharper by discussing a being, call him 'McStupid', that always knows who he is, but knows nothing else.

   • 2006, Brigid Lowry, Guitar Highway Rose, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 29:

     I bet Thomas McSmart-arse makes some dumb comment about my nose-ring.

   • 2007, Martha Kimes, Ivy Briefs: True Tales of a Neurotic Law Student, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 173:

     And when she's not at the Law Review office, she's out with her goddamn Law Review friends. Goddamn Art McAsshole and goddamn Lisa Von- Bitchypants and the worst — the very worst — is that goddamn Charlotte Sidwell.

3. (business) Used to form the name of McDonald's products.

   Coordinate term: (Apple) i-

   ‎Mc- + ‎griddle → ‎McGriddle

   ‎Mc- + ‎muffin → ‎McMuffin

   ‎Mc- + ‎rib → ‎McRib

   ‎Mc- + ‎café → ‎McCafé

5. (by extension, derogatory) Indicating a lack of depth or worth, by association with McDonald's.

   ‎Mc- + ‎car → ‎McCar

   ‎Mc- + ‎church → ‎McChurch

   ‎Mc- + ‎job → ‎McJob

   ‎Mc- + ‎mansion → ‎McMansion

   • 1983 Wallace Marx, "It's Not How Long You Make It," New York Magazine, Vol. 16, No. 50 (19 Dec 1983), p11

     Sesame Street is "McEducation." Like things served by the golden arches, Sesame Street has at once elevated the dregs and lowered the quality to mediocrity

   • 1995 Christopher Lloyd, Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo, "Dark Victory," Frasier, Season 2, Episode 24 (aired 23rd May 1995), spoken by Niles Crane (played by David Hyde Pierce)

     Two years of hard work wiped out by one of your 2 minute McSessions!

   • 2003, Anthony Wright, British politics: a very short introduction, Oxford University Press, page 35:

     Some of the techniques have been imported from the United States, but Britain's tight political and media village is now the European market leader in this kind of McPolitics.

7. (by extension, derogatory, humorous) Indicating an increase in availability or an increase in consumerism causing items to be more readily available.

   ‎Mc- + ‎nuke → ‎McNuke

Usage notes

• In alphabetical listings of people's names (Sense 1), as in address books or telephone directories, Mc- is often treated as if it were spelled Mac-.

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with Mc-

English terms prefixed with Mc- (derogatory)

Related terms

• Mac-

Translations

Irish and Scottish patronymic

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 麥／麦 (mak⁶)

  Mandarin: 麥／麦 (zh) (mài)

• Russian: ^{(please verify)} Мак- (Mak-)

See also

• McWord

Anagrams

• CM, cM