# An impossible thread title: --- Mc---alot: where did it come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 4, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298 "2009-03-04T18:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/21 "2009-04-23T16:25:48Z")
I believe this joke reached it’s zenith on King of Queens when Kevin James said someone called him: “Fatty McButterpants” It’s the Butterpants that really sells it, instead of Fatty McOverweight, or McObese, or something equally mundane. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/22 "2009-04-23T16:26:15Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Scooped! Wooooooooooooooo! Finally my turn to do it to someone! U-S-A! U-S-A! ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/23 "2009-04-23T17:51:18Z")
I always thought it stemmed from something started back in 1986. The term “McJob” which was a term for a low paying, entry level, no experience, little advancement type job (like working at McDonalds). [(wiki link)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McJob) From there it was a prefix meaning cheap, low cost, low quality. I remember even using it in 1988 when a friend bought a new Yugo and we referred to it as his McCar. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/24 "2009-04-23T18:08:35Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Scooped! > > That’s where I remember hearing it first. Something about a student that Ross had dubbed Cutie McHotgirl, or something like that. I believe it was Cutie McPretty. There was also Sleepy Sleeperson and Judgy VonHolierThanThou. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/25 "2009-04-23T20:43:35Z")
Don’t forget Smokey Smokerson. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/26 "2009-04-23T22:43:40Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Is this a whoosh? “M.C.” as in “M.C. Hammer” comes from “master of ceremonies.” Given the context of this thread, it’s interesting that it was Sir Mix-a-lot who had a line that said, “The meaning of ‘MC’ is ‘microphone combat’!” > [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](#): > > ‘Slutty McAnklebritches’ Okay, I’m naming a new WoW toon right this minute … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tylerdurgen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@tylerdurgen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tylerdurgen)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/27 "2011-03-13T07:57:13Z")
> [@ToeJam](#): > > I think the OP means MC as in M.C= the Microphone Controller usually in rap, such as MC Hammer or MC Lyte, as that would explain the -a-lot. As for the --alot, the only one that springs to mind is Sir Mix-a-lot. However from the examples provided it seems to not be an M.C. but Mc as in “Mac”, which yeah, I’m not sure how that one works. > > So maybe its a bastardization of the two references, because when I first saw those words, my mind naturally went with "M.C. Nagsalot, or M.C.\_\_\_alot. But now I see it could be read as McNagsalot with the sound of Mc like McNuggets (McDonald’s is the first thing I think about when i see the Mc as a sound and not spelled out- like McChicken Sandwich, McNuggets, McFlurry, McFries, etc…). MC stands for" Master of Ceromony" not microphone controller! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/28 "2011-03-13T09:21:57Z")
I always thought it came from Ronald McDonald. The rhythm is the same. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/29 "2011-03-13T10:39:33Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I always thought it came from Ronald McDonald. The rhythm is the same. Probably came from Zombie Mc_Bra-a-a-i-i-in_salot. ---
**Author:** ![Marc\_Xenos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298/30 "2011-03-13T18:52:10Z")
Probably not accurate, but I’ve always associated it with McDonald’s restaurants. Meaning cheap, momentarily filling but not really nutritional. Churned out by the masses for the masses. We refer to the latest housing developments, with the 3,500 sq ft floor plans, high arched roofs to be noticed from the roadway, extremely high cost, with absolutely no property around it, piled on top of each other in tract housing as McMANSIONS. The word McJob has actually been accepted into the Oxford English Dictionary (much to the dismay of McDonald’s) to describe a low-paying job with little or no chance of advancement nor even satisfaction of accomplishment. Basically, anything cheaply constructed, short-lasting that’s sold to the public, no matter what the price may be. Or anyone whose character can be similarly described. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-thread-title-mc-alot-where-did-it-come-from/488298.md?page=1)