Quote:
Originally Posted by skymaster
Maybe he's from the UK? They always say "Mac" Donalds
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To be fair they use BOTH "Mc" and "Mac" in the UK.
"Mc" (as in, McGregor or McDonald) is more popular and more prevalent in Ireland (both the Republic and in Northern Ireland) whereas "Mac-" (as in MacGregor or MacDonald) is more common in Scotland - which is where the name practice originates and derives from.
(remember that the Irish are more likely to be "O'Neill" rather than "MacNeill" or McNeill". Both mean the same thing, as in "son of Neill", or "of the "Neill's"
Within the rest of the UK (specifically England and Wales, they're both used interchangeably with no preference for either.
However, "McDonald's" being a brand name - and a well known international one at that - is specifically spelled and written the way we're all familiar with it here, and not there other way (MacDonald's).
And it actually matters more there since "MacDonald's" could actually refer to any other possible number of businesses and organizations that have nothing to do with the Fast food brand and who could otherwise risk brand-name confusion.
So I imagine in Scotland they would habitually say or write it as "MacDonald's" but only because that's how they always write that name there anyway. Which also indicates to you that in Canada when you do see the "MacDonalds" denotation to a business, it's usually a good sign that the people behind it or who started it DO have Scottish roots.
The irony of all this of course is that it (the fast food brand) is an American company made what it is today by a person who had neither Scottish nor Irish roots nor any ties to anything in the UK. Ray Kroc's parents were Czech immigrants to the US. He did however partner with the two McDonald brothers (who founded the company) who were themselves children of IRISH immigrants and from whom he bought out the brand name. So that might explain the spelling.
The more you know
(*insert NBC Rainbow swoosh here.....for those familiar with the reference)
Apologies for the digression to the mods.