Name McAdjective

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

When someone's moniker or nickname follows the form of a first name of whatever form and then has a surname of the form Mc and then some descriptive adjective (which may be suffixed with "pants").

Often used as a cheap and easy way to make a name into a pun. Just stick a Mc or Mac onto the front and everyone will know that it's a surname. Of course you can do this with any other common onomastic prefix or suffix: e.g., Paddy O'Adjective, Hassan Ibn Description, Baron Von Word, Verbal Verbson etc.

A common feature of Buffy-Speak.

Compare Awesome McCoolname and Fail O'Suckyname.

Examples of Name McAdjective include:

Animation

  • Shirley McLoon in Tiny Toons.
    • Although it should be noted that this is actually a case of Name McNoun, as Loon is a noun (referring both to her species and her personality). If it was a straight case of McAdjective, her name would be Shirley McLoony.
    • It's also a celebrity Shout-Out to Shirley Maclaine.
  • Gerald McBoingboing (A cartoon character that could only talk in sound effects). [context?]
  • Andy on Mission Hill would say these frequently, like "Tasteless McMoron", "Horndog McWhakWhak" or "Raunchy McSmutbag".
  • Homer tends to do this when making up names, like "Hooty McBoobs" or "that guy from the movie Shine: Shiny McShine".
    • The Simpsons also featured Tipsy McStagger's Goodtime Eating and Drinking Emporium and the Telephone Company mascot Phony McRingRing.
  • The Beast With A Billion Backs, one of the Futurama movies, gave us this gem: "Chesty McNag-Nag," used by Bender in reference to Leela.

Comic Books

Film

Jokes

  • What's Irish and sits out in the rain? Patty O'Furniture! Back in the early 1980s, voted the worse joke on UseNet.
    • Not to be confused with the Drag Queen by the same name.

Live Action TV

  • Greys Anatomy: About half the male cast, and the adjective is normally just another word for attractive.
    • Later added to become a convention for naming anything. "She's got my McDreamy, she's got my McDog, she's got my McLife!"
  • Friends: Ross used to make up names like this for his students when he lectured and he eventually went out with Cutie McPretty.
    • As well as 'You don't want to end up known as Professor McNailshisstudents.'
  • Blackadder "He's mad! He's mad. He's madder than Mad Jack McMad, the winner of this year's Mr Madman competition."
    • Also from Blackadder, the man who cleans the toilets at Aberdeen station is referred to as Wee Jock "Poo Pong" McPlop.
    • And "Stumpy" O'Leg McNoleg, whose record with running marathons is compared to Baldrick's record with successful cunning plans.
  • Big McLargehuge from Space Mutiny.
    • Thick McRunfast!
    • Gristle McThornbody!
    • Bolt VanderHuge adds some Dutch flavor.
  • All of Tony's nicknames for McGee in NCIS. Usually followed by a noun, and varies depending on the circumstances (McGoogle, McGullible, McKilljoy, McBackstabber, etc).
  • Doctor Who: "You're Mister Thick Thickity Thick-face from Thicktown, Thickannia. And so's your dad!"
    • It's the Thicktown, Thickannia that fulfills the trope.
  • One episode of Malcolm in the Middle shows a newscast from Dewey's point of view, with the anchor saying only "Boring, boring, boring", and calling himself Boring McBoring.
  • Shasta McNasty.
  • During an episode of Screenwipe, Charlie Brooker nicknamed an angry protester in some news footage 'Shouty McHeadwoundman'.
  • Whose Line Is It Anyway (USA Version): As the lead anchor on a game of Weird Newscasters, Brad Sherwood names himself "Chester Snapdragon McFisticuffs."
    • Wet Biscuits McGlee!
  • Rodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis does this with his fellow scientists. The one that comes immediately to mind is when he refers to Zelenka as "Fumbles McStupid."
  • The Gilmore Girls are fond of this. In one episode, Lorelai can't remember the name of a guy she describes as "short and fat." She asks her daughter, Rory, for his name. Rory responds, "Johnny McShort-and-Fat?"
  • From Castle: "So, Sweaty Von Sweats-a-lot, his alibi s holding."
  • In an episode of Veronica Mars, Logan bemoans the possibility of being thrown into a jail cell with "Fisty McRapesalot".
  • In an episode of Glee, Santana calls Artie "Stubbles McCripplepants."
  • CeCe from Shake It Up who wanted her stage name to be Crystal McHotness.
  • Willow describes herself as "Finey McFine fine" in one episode.

Literature

  • A cassette/book combo called Papa's Rainbow that told of a young girl who went to the rainbow to learn about God's promises, which were revealed to her in song by the Water Colors, who all had names to go with their colors, although only one fits this trope: Splash O'Red. (In case you're curious, the others were Shinin' Yellow, Sparklin' Orange, Shimmerin' Blue, Glimmerin' Green, and Pure Purple.)

Radio

  • Stephanie Miller loves this trope; John McCain => John McSame (as in same as George Bush who is Chimpy McFlightsuit).

VideoGames

  • In Dwarf Fortress, it's customary to refer to dwarves as Urist McDwarf. Often, McDwarf will be replaced by something more specific, like McNoble.
    • That's Urist McCarpbait to you.
    • Or Urist McThirsty.
  • In the second Ace Attorney game, Franziska Von Karma calls Detective Gumshoe "Scruffy McTrenchcoat" after finding Phoenix in Juan Corrida's room.

Web Comics

  • The Adventures of Dr. McNinja: Dr., Sean, Dan and Mitzi McNinja.
  • Sluggy Freelance has Riff and Torg occasionally adopt pseudonyms such as Turg LeTurgturg and "The Ambassador from Castle Riffenstein".
  • 8-Bit Theater uses these often. For example, Fighter referred to Red Mage as Talky McNoPlan (ironically, in the one time that Red Mage actually had a workable plan and was in the middle of explaining it).
    • Fighter himself confirmed that his last name is McWarrior and Red Mage is in fact Statscowski.
      • Black Mage Evilwizardington might count as well.
    • Blindy O'Sightless, the greatest strategist in the order of red mages.
      • Red Mage referred to him as the greatest Zoologist, actually, despite being apparently quite blind. Hilarity Ensues.
  • In Mac Hall, after Micah is dumped by his girlfriend Helen, one of the characters call him Sobby McEmopants.
  • Belkar Bitterleaf (of Order of the Stick) once refers to dwarven cleric Durkon as "Beardy McBeerstein".
  • Questionable Content: Faye calls the pretentious, music-snob clerk at the record store "Nappy McTurtleneck."
    • An earlier strip has Dora refer to Faye as "Indie McEmopants."
  • In an out-of-continuity strip of Shortpacked!, David Willis informs the readers that due to the writers' strike, his team of writers won't be available. They are Abe Rosenberg, Israel Finkelstein, and Jacob McJewlastname.
  • Aubrey of Something*Positive once referred sarcastically to Davan as "Honkey McRoundeye".
  • The Homestuck Kids and Trolls enjoy this one. John has called Jade "Miss Knowitall McPsychicpants", Rose "Miss Wordypants McSmartybluh" and Vriska "Marquise Bossyfangs McSekret"; Jade has called Dave "Mister Braveybrave McHeropants"; Dave has called Equius "Tooly McSnoothole", Vriska has called Kanaya "Miss Meddlesome McFussyfangs" and so on.
  • Never Mind the Gap has a young Lisa call Jim "Nerdy mcNosington.

Web Original

Real Life


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